Tommy Brown, Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn teammate and the last surviving member of the 1947 Dodgers, died on January 15, 2025, at 97.
Born on January 31, 1919, Jack Roosevelt Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first African-American to play Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era.
He was a four-sport student-athlete at Pasadena Junior College and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Robinson was a standout player for the UCLA Bruins football team in college.
Over the course of his 10-year MLB career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he earned the first-ever Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 and was selected as an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 to 1954.
Highlights
- Jackie Robinson was an American professional baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in MLB.
- Jackie Robinson was married to his beloved wife, Rachel Robinson, from 1946 to 1972, till his demise.
- Jakie and Rachel had three children: Jackie Robinson Jr., Sharon Robinson, and David Robinson.
Jackie Robinson retired from baseball at age 37 on January 5, 1957. It has been over 68 years since his retirement. However, Dodgers fans still remember his remarkable professional journey.
Furthermore, as reported by WCTV, The Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club’s ‘Diamond Affair’ will feature the legendary MLB Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, in 2025.
The annual event will be held on Friday, January 31, at 7 p.m. EST, the 106th birthday of the late Jackie Robinson.
Rachel Robinson, Wife Of Jackie Robinson For 26 Years, Founded The Jackie Robinson Foundation
Jackie Robinson married Rachel Annetta Robinson, a former professor and registered nurse from 1946 to 1972, till his demise.
The couple met at UCLA in 1941, when Jackie was a senior and Rachel was a freshman. After knowing each other for about six years, they married on February 10, 1946.
Jackie Robinson’s widow Rachel is 102-year-old and the founder of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which she founded in 1973.
It is a non-profit organization providing educational and leadership opportunities for minority students.
Moreover, Mrs. Robinson graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in nursing on June 1, 1945.
Baseball legend Jackie Robinson's wife, Rachel Robinson, is 102 years old & still looks beautiful and amazing 😍 pic.twitter.com/Hl67KA5rvT
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) April 26, 2024
She worked as a researcher and clinician at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Department of Socal and Community Psychiatry for about five years.
After that, Rachel Robinson became an assistant professor at the Yale School of Nursing and the director of nursing at the Connecticut Mental Health Center.
Furthermore, she also served on the board of the Freedom National Bank until it closed in 1990.
Moreover, in 1996, Rachel stepped down as chairwoman. However, she has participated in philanthropy based on the foundation and Jackie Robinson Development Corporation.
Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, has received numerous awards for her incredible works, including the Candace Award for Distinguished Service from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Equitable Life Black Achievers Award.
Jackie Robinson And Rachel Robinson Had Three Children; Their Elder Son Passed Away In A Traffic Collision
The Robinson couple had three children: the late Jackie Robinson Jr., Sharon Robinson, and David Robinson.
Jakie and Rachel lost their eldest child, Jackie Robinson Jr., in 1971 in an automobile accident at the age of 24.
The New York Times reports that he was driving at high speed toward his parent’s home in Stamford, Connecticut, and died when his car crashed into a fence and then on a parkway.
Robinson Jr. was in the Army for about three years in Vietnam and later struggled with drug problems.
Jackie Robinson's children, Sharon and David, throw out the first pitches at Dodger Stadium. #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/pZcpesmtUV
— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2019
Moreover, the experience with his son’s drug addiction turned Jackie Robinson Sr. into an avid anti-drug crusader in his later life.
Furthermore, Jackie’s only daughter, Sharon Robinson, is a recognized author. She often writes fiction and nonfiction books for children. Similarly, she is the vice-chairperson of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Sharon is also the director of MLB’s educational programming and has authored two books about her father, Jackie.
Likewise, the youngest son of Jackie and Rachel David Robinson is a social activist and coffee grower. He has spent the last 40 years developing racial and human opportunity.
Similarly, he is the founder and president of United Harlem Growth, Inc. Since 1983, David has lived in Tanzania, East Africa, working in international economic development.
He serves as the Managing Director of Higher Ground Development Corporation, overseeing coffee farming, exporting, and marketing the Sweet Unity Farms brand in North America.
Additional Information
- On October 24, 1972, Jackie Robinson passed away at the age of 53 following the effects of heart disease and diabetes.
- Rachel Robinson has twelve grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
- At the time of his demise, Jackie Robinson’s net worth was about $6 million (adjusting for inflation). As of 2023, the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s total assets were $42.2 million.
