Obituary of Robin L. Jones
Robin Lea Jones (63) died May 27, 2017 after a long illness, fighting and feisty until the end. Robin was born January 4, 1954 to Harry and Patricia Gilbert in Oakland, California. She graduated early from Del Ville High School and went on to attend college until moving to St. Maries in 1973, buying a piece of property up Happy Creek.
Upon moving to St. Maries, she worked at Bud's Drive Inn and there she met Robin Harper. Together they had daughters Ananda and Laurel. After being a jack of all trades, she settled on a career as a CNA. She worked at Valley Vista and BCH for over 25 combined years and also did home health care. She loved her work, her coworkers, and was always a strong patient advocate. She was a tough but thorough mentor to many. She was a night shifter through and through...known for her stubbornness, humor, pranks, and chocolate addiction.
Robin was very crafty and she and the girls spent each Christmas season creating gifts for family and friends. She was an amazing basket weaver, using local pine needles gathered from the city park. Her nurse friends benefited from her ability to sew scrubs and she was always sewing quilts for gifts or fun, including baby blankets for each granddaughter that matched exactly the ones she created for Ananda and Laurel. Robin enjoyed relaxing with friends and until her health prevented her yearly camping trips with her nurse friends up the river. She didn't travel much, but she liked visiting Laurel's family in Washington, DC and seeing all the sites.
Robin was always up for a good joke, her favorites being April Fool's jokes on her kids. She created a warm and inviting home for everyone and treated Ananda and Laurel's friends as her own. She had an open door and open fridge policy. She was the person everyone came to for blunt advice and you always knew where you stood with her.
She is survived by her spouse and love of 13 1/2 years Jerry Waddell. They fell in love later in life, but it was worth the wait. She is also survived by her daughters and spouses Ananda and Logan and Laurel and Mike. She had several step-children and was a 2nd mom to many, but she was especially close to step-daughter and son-in-law Jessie Waddell and Danny. The highlight of the past few years were her granddaughters, Madeline and Sofia. She was also looking forward to a new granddaughter due in November. Additional survivors include several siblings, her step-mother Lil Gilbert, numerous nieces and nephews, her "chosen" sister Rebecca Bowler, and best friend Maureen Howard. She was preceded in death by her parents and son-in-law TJ Grieser.
A memorial service will be held Friday, June 23rd at 3pm at Hodge Funeral Home. Robin was fond of the lighted cross in St. Maries and a supporter of Hospice. She requested memorials to the Lighted Cross Fund (c/o Ginny Oakes) or to Hospice in lieu of flowers.
