Robert Nino Lubotina
November 16, 1944-February 12, 1993
Born in Minnesota, Bob Lubotina got his start in skating at the Hibbing Figure Skating Club. He made his national debut at the 1963 U.S. Championships in Long Beach, finishing fifth in the junior men's event. In his final trip to the Nationals in 1965, he finished in the top five in both junior pairs (with Bona Dai Beckstrom) and men's. He coached at Berkeley Iceland in California with Tim Brown in the seventies before turning to judging. He judged at two U.S. Championships, as well as international events in Europe. He passed away on February 12, 1993 in Houston, Texas at the age of forty-eight.
Bona Dai Beckstrom and Bob Lubotina. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.
Bob's obituary from "Skating" magazine: "Robert N. Lubotina, former competitor, USFSA Gold medalist, and Judge, passed away on February 12 at the age of 48. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Lubotina began skating in his native Chisholm, Minn. at an early age as a member of the Hibbing FSC. He represented the St. Paul FSC at the 1965 U.S. Championships in both the Junior men and Junior pairs events, skating in the latter with partner Bona Dai Beckstrom. He later turned professional, but regained his eligibility and became a judge. A Silver Dance Test judge and a Sectional Precision judge, Lubotina was appointed a USFSA National judge in 1986 and an ISU International judge in 1989, one of only 20 in the U.S. Many friends, judges, officials, and skaters attended memorial services held in Houston, Texas. Eulogies were given by International Judge Gale Tanger and National Judge Mary Cook. Lubotina is survived by his mother Helen B. Lubotina, grandfather Louis Samsa, and cousin Georgene Sorensen."
*Source for inclusion: National AIDS Memorial, The Names Project Memorial Quilt
