Margaret Jessica Robinson
1921-2018
Jessica, nee Coburn was born June 8, 1921 on Keswick Ridge,
New Brunswick, daughter of Fred and Julia Buchanan Coburn.
As a young girl and all through her life, she worked hard and
described herself as ambitious and competitive. She attended the
Keswick Ridge Superior School, then Provincial Normal School and took
a year of Science at the University of New Brunswick. After Normal
School she taught for a year at Middle Southampton and then after her
year at UNB taught at Moncton High school. She then went on to obtain
a B Sc. of Home Economics in 1945 at the Macdonald College of McGill
University. This is where she met the love of her life, John Robinson.
They were married on July 6, 1946 on Keswick Ridge with
Jessica’s family and friends in attendance.
They moved to the Ottawa area where they stayed for 19 years.
Jessica continued to work, first as a lab technician in Ottawa and
then as a night school teacher at MacDonald College and for many years
in London, Ontario. She managed all this, while raising our family.
There are four of us, all missing our dear mother: Barbara (David),
Douglas (Linda), Margaret and Frances (Jochen). John taught at UWO in
the Microbiology department and so all 4 children graduated from there
as well.
John and Jessica returned to Keswick Ridge in 1987 after John
received the title of Professor Emeritus from UWO. They created a
Christmas tree farm just a few miles from where Jessica was born and
at one point they had 50,000 balsam firs planted. They worked
physically harder there than many people much younger would have been
capable of. The farm was named the “J and J Robinson
Christmas Tree Farm”.
Jessica was very sociable – a real people person.
She kept an address book that was full of names of friends and family
that she kept in touch with regularly. Her children were on this
roster of calls too and her calls will be a big loss in our lives. She
and Dad travelled extensively and always reported having a wonderful
time on their jaunts. They travelled to Pangnirtung, Nunavut to visit
Marg, to New Zealand, England, Scotland and the Outer Hebrides, Greece
and throughout Canada and parts of the U.S.
Jessica was a “Busy Bee”, active with
sewing, quilting, food preservation, gardening and loved to be outside
in nature – either on skis in the winter or on nature walks.
It was a difficult time for her when she could no longer ski because
of mobility problems. She instilled in all four of us, a love and
appreciation for the beauty of the outdoors.
She was also a believer in getting involved with community
groups and events. While they lived on Keswick Ridge she held
memberships with the Women’s Institute, Seniors Club, Garden
Club and the Historical Society. She also attended “Morning
Out” at Mactaquac Baptist Church, and at Wilmot United Church
she participated in the Wilmot Seniors Club. Other activities included
the Botanic Garden Association, the Nature Club, Quilters Guild and
also Kings Landing. As a member (joined in 1988) of the Keswick Ridge
Women’s Institute, she acted as convener and director a
number of times. She hosted meetings and annual Christmas
parties in her home and helped with catering, bazaars and district
meetings as well. She spent the last two years of her life
in St. Anne’s Court. She was very active there as
an Ambassador and participated in many of the events there.
She made some wonderful friends while there.
Mom was always busy and encouraged us all to do our best. She
was a strong believer in being well educated. She went to great
lengths to ensure that we all had music in our lives and found the
best piano teachers that she could.
Jessica was the proud grandmother to Doug and
Linda’s children Jessica and Jonathan, Margaret and
Michael’s children Stephen, Tom and Claire and Fran and
Gerry’s two girls Jennifer and Carolyn. Jonathan and his
wife Beth provided Jessica with 2 beautiful great grandchildren
– Nora and Margo. Jennifer and Nico provided
Jessica with beautiful Keshi. Along with her own family,
Jessica is survived by her sister, Grace Fraser, as well as several
nieces and one nephew.
Jessica will be missed by her large number of friends and for
all the help she has provided to others through her long life. She
will be hugely missed by her children – the phone calls, the
anecdotes about her day’s activities, descriptions of her
quilting projects, concert reviews, meeting all her new friends at St
Anne’s Court… the list goes on. We all love you from the
bottom of our hearts Mom.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2018 at
McAdam’s Funeral Home from 7-9 pm. A funeral service will be
held at Wilmot United Church on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 2 pm with
Rev. Ellen Bearisto, Rev. Rose-Hannah and Rev. Bob Jones
officiating. A reception will follow the funeral service in
the church hall. Donations in Jessica’s memory can be made
to CUSO (Canadian University Services Overseas), Doctors without
Borders or the John Robinson Graduate Scholarship at Western
University in London Ontario.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Margaret Jessica Robinson 19212018.source
Death notice for the town of: Oromocto, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick