Pauline Robinson

Pauline's service will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Click here to view the service.

Pauline Grace Madden Robinson, 99, of Topeka, passed away on March 3, 2024, at Homestead Assisted Living.

Pauline began working as a Home Economics teacher in 1954 at Highland Park High School. She moved to Shawnee Heights Middle School when it opened, staying only one term before moving to Washburn Rural High School when it opened. She continued to work at WRHS until her retirement in November 1989. In retirement, she also worked afternoons as a teller at Capital City Bank.

On March 3, 1947, Pauline married Vernon Leon Robinson. At that time they lived in Atwood, KS, and Pauline worked as the Rawlings County Extension Agent while Vernon worked as a Cowboy for a large ranch nearby, in an era when range wars still existed in western Kansas and west into Colorado. Previously Vernon had served in the US Navy and was wounded in the South Pacific. After they met and married, Pauline gave birth to a stillborn son, buried in the Auburn cemetery. In 1949, Pauline gave birth to Steven Alan Robinson, and shortly thereafter Donna Sue Robinson was adopted. In 1968, Pauline gave birth to Brian Keith Robinson.

Pauline's family resided at the US Army Presidio of Monterey, while Vernon served as a Military Police Instructor during the Korean War. They lived in a thirteen-foot Airstream trailer parked on an area sand lot reserved for NCO's. Following the war, the family moved to Topeka, where she hosted Pinochle Parties in the basement every Saturday night, and square-danced on Friday nights at the Barn on SW 10th Street. In June 1956, the Robinson family moved to the current family home on SW Amhurst Rd. There she hosted neighborhood guests whenever tornado sirens sounded, as Vernon invariably opened his bar. Over the years, the basement was the scene of many a party with friends from across the state. Vernon gave Pauline a bumper pool table for her birthday one year, because she loved playing on at a local private club. Her opponents were subjected to humiliation as Pauline ran the table. The basement served as a dining room for her ever-growing extended family and friends, many occasions feeding an army from her stocked freezer and pantry.

Pauline was a 64-year member at Alpha Delta Kappa, Chi Chapter and a member of Delta Theta Chi. She was a Clovia alumna, a women's sorority founded at Kansas State University in 1931, from her time at KSU where she graduated with a degree in Home Economics Education, later receiving her master's degree. While working on her Bachelor's Degree, Pauline spent summers working for her father at Auburn State Bank, as she had done in the afternoons while at Auburn High School.

Pauline was left widowed when Vernon Robinson died in February, 1975. As soon as Brian started elementary school at McCarter, Pauline returned to teaching at Washburn Rural High. She continued to teach there until she retired. Sadly Brian died of a gunshot wound on November 9, 1989, the year he started at the University of Kansas. Unfortunately, the shooting was determined accidental, leaving Pauline devastated believing that charges should have been filed against the responsible party.

After retirement, Pauline like her mother, became an avid gardener, putting raised flower beds covering the backyard and a vegetable garden on the south side of her home. Every spring her efforts showed a multitude of spring flowers, with her purple and fuchsia azaleas in front of the entry.

Pauline moved to Homestead Assisted Living in early 2016, where after much trepidation that she would hate it, she actually loved it over time. She returned to being the social person she was known to be. At Homestead, she became the resident card shark, always winning at cards, especially Pinochle.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Grace Madden; her husband, Vernon Robinson; her son, Brian Keith Robinson; her daughter, Donna Daniels; and her grandson, Travis Aaron Daniels.

Pauline is survived by her son Steven A Robinson of the family home, granddaughters Caitlin Robinson (Dallas) and Brooke Erin Daniels (Topeka), five nieces and nephews, and a great grandchild

Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 8, 2024, at 11:00 am at the Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, Topeka, Kansas, with visitation beginning an hour before the service time.


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