Robin Wright

Robin Renee Wright (Henderson) died on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 around 1:00 AM. She was 46 years old and lived in Centerville, Ohio.

Robin was a dedicated, loyal, giving wife, mother, sister, and friend. Her passing leaves a gaping hole in the lives of those who loved her.

Robin was born October 25, 1964 in Georgetown, Ohio to Jetta and Randall, and grew up the quintessential country girl in Williamsburg and Mt. Orab, Ohio east of Cincinnati. She had fond memories of playing with animals on her grandparents' farm in Kentucky, helping her dad repair old cars and torturing her sisters Charlene and Darlene. She enjoyed the wide-open spaces in the country and spent time frog-gigging with her friends and playing with her pets.

She started her family early, having a beautiful daughter, Heather, in 1980. Heather was followed by rambunctious Randall and studious Stephen. She was a loving, no-nonsense mother. In everything she did, she was a strong, outspoken, and fearsome protector of her children. Little Stephen began having severe and constant seizures when he was one year old, and she was on constant vigilance to keep him alive. The seizures suddenly ended and there were concerns about brain damage, but she ensured he got special help with his development as his body healed.

When Stephen was a toddler, she relocated to Dayton, settling in Kettering and Centerville. When her children were small, she worked different jobs, but after they were all in school she joined Time Warner Cable as a customer service representative. She excelled in customer service and became quite computer savvy. She worked her way up to Sales Support in the Roadrunner Business Class division. She spent 10 years at Time Warner until layoffs in the company stalled her career.

She decided to use this opportunity to follow her dream of working in the medical field. She began her career as a phlebotomist, which she enjoyed, and then at the age of 40 she decided to go back to school to become a nurse. She persevered and became a license practical nurse. She enjoyed working with the elderly in nursing homes, but she soon found her calling as a hospice nurse. She had been terrified of death all her life, but in helping dying patients and their families she found peace in death. She was a fierce advocate for her patients' rights to die in comfort and peace. She considered it an honor to be present with a person as they passed on. She demonstrated that feeling in her personal life, being there for her mother and her mother-in-law as they passed on in 2009.

She loved being artistic and creative, and for several years she made pottery which she cooked in a fire-pit in her backyard. She taught pottery classes and had a studio in the Kettering Arts and Recreation Center. She sold her pottery in galleries and at the annual Kettering Arts Festival, and created a website to explain her artistic process.

She had been suffering from undiagnosed illness for the past few years. Her doctors assumed she had a severe case of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Her condition caused severe pain in her back and hips, making it difficult to walk or stand. She went from using a cane to improve her mobility to a walker, then finally to a wheelchair in about 6 months. She hated not being able to work as a nurse, not having the energy to go out and enjoy life, and most of all, not being able to take care of her family and friends as she always had.

Robin leaves a legacy of love, loyalty, and determination. She was a bold, brassy lady who loved life and tried to live it to the fullest.

She is survived by her wife/partner, Barbara; her children Heather, Randall, and Stephen; grandchildren Jevon, Cody, and Dallas; her sisters Darlene and Charlene; her maternal aunt Betty; grandparents Lester and Ella; and many nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her father Randall, her mother Jetta, and her mother-in-law Barbara as well as her paternal grandparents.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 28 at 6:00 PM at Newcomer Funeral Home (3940 Kettering Blvd. Kettering, OH 45439). Family will receive friends from 5:00 PM until time of service.