Ernestine “Butchie” Robinson

Ernestine “Butchie” Robinson:
Jan. 19, 1927-Dec. 25, 2011
Ernestine passed away peacefully early Christmas morning at home with her family in South San Francisco at the age of 84. She spent her childhood in Loma Linda, California, where she would get in trouble for playing boogie woogie on the church piano. After high school in Chattanooga, Tenn., she went back to California to earn her degree in nursing from Glendale Sanitarium. Soon she met a young lab tech named Tom Robinson, fell in love, and later married July 6, 1952. She continued her work as supervising OR nurse for four more years until it was time to start a family. With four very active kids, life at the Robinson household was never dull with annual skiing trips with family and friends in the winter, and sailing their boat the Sinitram to Catalina when the weather got warm. Over the years she expressed her creative side with classes in Chinese brush painting, stained glass, jewelry making, Szechwan cooking, and a piano (which she asked for in lieu of a honeymoon) she played to her heart’s content. Butchie was a wonderful cook, and needless to say her kitchen was a favorite stop for the neighborhood kids. Over the years she would be an interior designer specializing in professional offices and eventually became a travel agent which led to trips to Hong Kong, Japan, Bangkok, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland and Italy. She was passionate, adventurous, artistic, and had a sense of humor with a zest for life that will be missed. She is survived by her devoted husband Tom, son Mark Robinson, his wife Kathy & their children Ian & Aya; daughter Louise Tully & husband Kevin; daughter Lisa Walzem, husband Tom & their children Caitlin & Miles, & son Michael Robinson & partner Santos Sanchez. A celebration of her life will be held this summer. Tom welcomes correspondence at PO Box 1066, Burlingame, CA 94011