In Memory of

Robin

Rogers

Shannon

Obituary for Robin Rogers Shannon

Robin Rogers Shannon

I can see Nana chuckling in greeting with Grandpa at her side as they welcomed my mom home. She is warmly embraced by friends and family, a son, two husbands, a mother-in-law all waiting with smiles and hugs. Finally, she has risen and is with Jesus, at peace, her pain gone, her work here done.


She was so many things to so many: gracious, warm, funny, deep, an amazing friend, a good wife - twice, daughter, sister, cousin. She held some friendships closely for over 50 years. She raised two families, mom to both. Grandmama, Grandma and Great Grandma.

She was an army nurse, an RN in 4 states, then a nurse practitioner OBGyn. She worked staunchly for women’s rights at Planned Parenthood, even when there was grave risk. She was absolutely Christian and absolutely pro choice.

Mom delighted in warm sunny places, filled with light and color. And lots and lots of sand if she could get it. New Mexico and the Gulf States. She was totally born in the wrong place, but was eventually able to go south, living in FL for 25 years.

Before that, she sat at many, many hockey games despite the cold, sang in community choirs, volunteered in schools and served her greater community. She made friends wherever she went. She was also a really great hugger and she had beautiful hands. She was a fabulous cook and loved hosting family and friends in her favored palazo pants.

She refinished, by hand, an old oak table restoring it to the center of family life. Everything from laundry to homework and family dinners; parties, games and crafts happened around that table.

She thought Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett were hilarious. Neil Diamond and Burt Bacharach took her to a sublime place. Her heart throbs were Robert Redford and Paul Newman, especially from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. M.A.S.H was close to her heart because although she wasn’t there, those were her peers. She played piano and bridge. She loved to sit at the pool with a good book (Tom Clancy) and glass of wine or a gaggle of her ladies. She knew how to laugh well and often. She lived in Europe, loved to travel, and did it extensively. In the early years, there were many family car trips that she made Triscuit, cheese and summer sausage snacks to feed us so we didn’t have to pay for a meal out. Life was often an adventure, except when it rained while we were camping or snowed in April, especially around her birthday!

She took care of our wellbeing, our outlooks on life, and our hearts when the world was a hard place. She honored her mother and father and adopted in-laws and step-families equally. She was proud of all her children and worked hard to be proud of herself. She diligently taught her granddaughters to “do makeup” every morning when visiting. She also made mistakes, admitted them and learned from them. And she loved going out for good food - Thai, Indian, Fraboni’s, TexMex, Greek, and the incredible fresh seafood of the Pacific Coast.


Her life could be spelled out in so many awesome stories. They’d tell of her great character, her greater heart, her greatest care of others, and her many loves and interests. She had hopes and dreams and saw many of them realized. No small thing.


She was so special to so many. She delighted in life and shared herself freely.

She was the best mom.

She was our mom.


Our loss is beyond words, but we know where she is -

with Him.

In lieu of a celebration here, know that we will take her back to her beloved beaches of Sanibel Island. Her sunny, warm, happy place.


If you knew her, you know this is bittersweet. If you didn’t, you missed out on an amazing woman. But absolutely know that she is laughing among the many people she loves, in the sunshine, with her Father and Son. She would want that for you, too.


Sing, dance and laugh out loud for us, Mom! We’ll be together in sunny days at the beach again....


With deepest love from her family,

the Rogers kids and grandkids and the Shannon kids, grandkids and great grandkids. Two parts made whole through one big heart.


Mom’s favorite passage, Psalm 23:

The Lord is my Shepard; I shall not want.

He make me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth to my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Amen

Memorials in lieu of flowers will be established at a later date.