Robey worked at both papers, beginning with the Journal Herald in 1963 when he was hired by Sports Editor Ritter Collett. As the outdoors writer, his columns often were first-person accounts of the current outdoors season.
Robey was a vault of hunting information. He was at ease in a blind and was a longtime fixture at the Grand American World Trapshooting Tournament during its run at Vandalia.
Beside his wife Donna of 54 years, fishing was the next closest to his heart. He helped found the Dayton Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. He also was the longtime host of the popular Jim Robey Fishing Safari and was a frequent guest lecturer.
Much of Robey’s writing was about “muskie madness,” Lake Erie walleye, Mad River brown trout, perch and rock bass fingerlings. If it had gills, swam and was a challenge to catch, count Robey in — waders and all.
“I’m going to miss it,” he told Collett upon retiring in 1993 from the DDN following a 30-year career with the two Cox papers.
“People tell me I have the best job on the paper and I agree.”
His father George founded the Outdoor Writers of Ohio and was a longtime outdoors writer for the Columbus Citizen-Journal. A Columbus native, Jim graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in wildlife management and initially worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
That began a long association with the ODNR as Robey’s career expanded to Dayton. And he wasn’t above faulting the ODNR for, among other things, not enforcing its rules or regulations.
He received many local, state and national awards for his writing and special interest in groups. His most heralded work involved a series of stories and personal photos that chronicled horrific environmental misuse of the Little Miami and Great Miami rivers. That led to an ODNR conservation effort that remains in place.
The Scripps-Howard News Service honored him with a National Conservation Award for the series.
He enjoyed swapping hunting tales with anyone, including rocker Ted Nugent, a well-known conservative and hunting enthusiast.
“(Robey) was very dedicated to his craft,” said former DDN sports editor Ralph Morrow. “He just lived the outdoors.”
Robey and Don Timmons were throwback outdoors writers to an era when newspapers were a main source of information. Robey replaced Timmons at the DDN. Jim Morris would replace Robey at the DDN.
“He was a fantastic mentor for me,” said Morris, still in place as the paper’s outdoors writer.
“Ritter once told me that he was the nicest man that he ever met and I agree with that.”
James Calvert Robey is survived by his wife Donna, daughter Kelly and brother George. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, at Tobias Funeral Home, 5471 Far Hills Ave. A funeral will follow.
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