Betty Marilyn Robinson's Obituary
Betty Marilyn Robinson (née Young) passed away peacefully, and surrounded by many family members, on February 16, 2014 at Highline Medical Center in Burien, Washington. Born May 27th, 1927 in Seattle, WA to Ed and Muriel Young, she was the eldest of four children. Betty spent her youth camping for months at a time while her father worked as a logger in the forests of Washington State. She was a Girl Scout, and later a troop leader for her daughters. While working as a telephone operator at Pacific Northwest Bell, she was introduced to Wilson “Bill” Robinson, by her co-worker and Bill’s sister, Lois Delo (Robinson). It was love-at-first-sight and Bill proposed within a month of their first date. They were married August 20, 1948 in Seattle, WA. They had three daughters, Gail Robinson, Janis Jacobson, and Lyn Robinson (John Crispin). Betty was a fireman’s wife, a dedicated homemaker & mother, was “green” before it was cool, a dedicated advocate for healthy eating , taught her daughters how to sew their own clothes, was an outdoorswoman spending family vacations hiking and camping, an active member of Beacon Hill Presbyterian Church, and was involved in a Bible Study Group. After Bill’s retirement from the Seattle Fire Department in 1974, she was the first-mate on their fishing boat, The Zenith (which Bill built). They were avid fishermen, canning and freezing their catch of salmon and tuna. The salmon they caught were considered to be the best by vendors in Westport for Betty’s thorough cleaning of the fish, and quick storage in the boat’s freezer. Bill & Betty traveled the U.S. extensively in their Airstream throughout their retirement, and also traveled to Europe, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and visited relatives in Sweden. They were snowbirds, traveling between Mesa, Arizona and Lacey, Washington. Betty kept very active attending exercise, couples dance, and yoga classes, and various other activities at their retirement community in Mesa. Regardless of location, Betty remained an active member of the Presbyterian Church, attending weekly services throughout her life. Betty was a very involved grandmother to Betty Adams (Thomas), Michael Warren Pietzke (Elizabeth), Jennifer Pietzke (Alan Suire), Mike Jacobson (Liz Johnson), Bryce Jacobson (Amanda), and Rachel Casillas (David). She and Grandpa Bill took their grandchildren on adventures to Disneyland, the Grand Canyon, and various attractions between the southwestern and northwestern U.S. in their Airstream. Betty and Bill’s traveling days were cut short in September 2005 when they were involved in a serious train accident in Chicago, Illinois. They spent a month in separate hospitals within Chicago; the longest time spent apart in their 57 years of marriage. After returning to Seattle, Betty & Bill spent many months in physical therapy and eventually moved to Judson Park Retirement Community in Des Moines to be closer to their daughters, Lyn and Janis. She was a great-grandmother to Thomas Adams Jr. (Julianna), McKenzie Adams, Zachary Adams, Bria Pietzke, Annika Pietzke, Wesley Suire, William Suire, David L. Casillas, Roman Casillas, Nora Casillas, Beau Jacobson & Baby-on-the-way Jacobson. She had one great-great-granddaughter, Ryli Adams. She was preceded in death by her youngest brother and sibling, Larry Young in 2006, and her sister-in-law Lois Delo in 2005. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Bill, her brother Don Young (Nancy), and her sister Sharon Stakkestad (Sig), and her sister-in-law Doris “Dickie” Dunmire.
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