
In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Robertson "was one of the most influential public servants of his day" who will "be remembered as a great Canadian."
Robertson's wide-ranging contributions were recognized with an array of honours and awards. He received the Vanier Medal in 1970, was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1974 and was inducted as a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1976.
After retiring in 1979, Robertson went on to become president of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, served as a Chancellor of Carleton University from 1980 to 1990, and recounted his experiences in a memoir, Memoirs of a Very Civil Servant, which was published in 2000.