Obituary of Helen Lorraine Robinson

Helen Lorraine Rollins Robinson was a talented scientist, artist, sister, aunt, wife, and teacher. She was a strong women of faith and service to the broader community. Born in Hampton, Virginia on May 14, 1932, Helen spent her early years at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, South Carolina where her father was business manager of Penn Center School, the first formal school built expressly for formerly enslaved people. Helen's family moved back to the Tidewater area when she and her younger sister, Mary, were high school age. Helen went to Hampton University, graduating with a degree in science education in 1953. She taught biology and chemistry in the Baltimore secondary schools for thirty years, making a difference in the lives of numerous young people. Helen always remained curious about the natural world around her, and during the summer, she pursued a Master's Degree from Penn State. With an unerring sense of color, Helen created beautiful works of art and decorations for events. She was so talented in all handcrafts and continued to make wonderful things up until the last weeks of her long and impactful life. She shared this interest with the next generation. In this sphere, as in so many others she was a particular inspiration to the next generation, notably her niece, niece-in-law, and great-niece. Helen was a founding and then emerita member of Delicados, an organization to promote unity and friendship among its chapters and to engage in civic, cultural and social activities in the world's community. The Delicados were a vitally important part of Helen's life, and her family enjoyed attending special events with Helen and the Baltimore chapter. Helen's Christian faith was central to her life. She and her late husband James Robinson, were active members of Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore. Later, Helen was a founding and devoted member of the Open Church, a church plant which continued to be important in Helen's life to the very end. During the pandemic, she learned to use Zoom to connect with her church community and the broad currents of her larger family's life. Helen celebrated and lived the Open Church's goals of creating a joyful place where children, seniors, migrant workers, people experiencing homelessness, and scholars eagerly learn from and teach one another. She especially appreciated the Open Church as a safe place where varied ethnicities and capabilities, genders and sexual identities, social and economic groups gather in peace to break bread at Christ's Communion Table. Family, neighborhood and friends were another center of Helen's life. She was a loving older sister to Mary and to Howard Jr ("Pete"). Once Mary died, Helen took on extra care for her niece, nephew and their families. She was interested in travel and came to visit her nephew and family in Belgium and France. Helen is predeceased by her parents, Howard M. Rollins, Sr and Elizabeth Rollins (née Morgan), her sister, Mary Rollins Andrews, and husband, James Robinson. Helen is survived by her brother, Howard M. Rollins, Jr., nephew Dr. Theodore (Elizabeth) Andrews, niece Chris Meadows, nephews Abdul and Terrance Rollins, and great nephew Willem (Miranda) Andrews, great-nieces Dr. Mary Andrews and Michelle Meadows.