He was educated at Douai School, Berkshire. A devoutly religious man, during his war years he would always insist that Mass be held for dead crew members any time an enemy plane had been brought down. In post-war years he helped to organise displaced persons camps in Western Europe. After his retirement in 1979 McNair became involved with many church, charitable and ex-Service organisations. He also maintained close contact with his old school and was elected President of the Douai Society (1991–93). In 1940 Robin McNair married Estelle Townsend, great niece of Surgeon-General Sir Edmond Townsend; they had seven children, including author and lawyer Duncan McNair. McNair died on 18 May 1996, three days short of his 78th birthday, following a stroke. He was buried at Church Norton close to the seaside at Selsey, West Sussex, where he had been commanding officer and had flown several missions over the English Channel before D-Day in his Typhoon. He was strongly associated with supporting pro-life causes. He was a patron and supporter of SPUC, whose Robin McNair Prize, set up in his memory and presented annually, is open to children between the ages of 14 and 18 writing an essay about issues affecting the sanctity of life. He founded a number of charities and caring bodies in his later years including the Society of St Vincent de Paul; he became secretary of St Benedict's School, Ealing, chairman at St Augustine's Priory and the most senior president of Douai School. In 1998 a blue plaque was erected in his honour at a new road in the London Borough of Ealing, McNair Road. (McNair Close, Selsey and McNair Court, Hove are also named in his honour.)