Arlene Rita Robinson
Nov. 1, 1930- Dec. 26, 2025

95 years young.

Arlene Rita Nessar was born in Hyde Park, Mass., the next to the youngest of six siblings, two boys and five girls in total. Raised with a strong Christian faith and an equally strong Boston accent, Arlene showed herself to be a natural, independent spirit from a very young age.

She worked and played around her father’s grocery store, helping her parents both in the store and household chores along with her brothers and sisters. For Arlene, there were no customers, only people and acquaintances who were soon to be called friends, with whom she was always ready to share a smile, a conversation, and/or a helping hand.

When she graduated high school, she immediately went to work for a company in Boston called Alice Chalmers. She worked hard, and advanced from receptionist to secretary in a very short time.

In 1952 she met a tall, gangly army ranger named Otis Franklin “Robbie” Robinson, who, when he saw her at a roller-skating rink, bet his buddy a quarter that he would marry her.

Thus began a four-year courtship, maneuvered through round trip hitch-hiking trips from army base Arlene’s home in Hyde Park, meeting her family, two tours in Korea, and, when he left the army two more years of persistent wooing before Arlene gave in.

On May 5, 1956 Miss Arlene Nessar became Mrs. Arlene Robinson.

I guess dad won the bet.

In 1959 Arlene and Robbie moved from Boston Massachusetts to Anaheim California. Robbie got a job in logistics at Hughes Defense Systems, and Arlene settled in embracing her new hometown, making new friends and caring for their first-born child, a girl they named Sharon. Ever the people person, Arlene began to put together bridge club parties, neighborhood and family barbeques. During summer vacations, they travelled across the United States by car visiting relatives in Boston or North Carolina and all sights in between.

In 1962 their happiness and little family were complete when their second child, a son they named Mark, entered their world.

1969 brought the opportunity for Robbie to work overseas, and Arlene enthusiastically agreed to the company’s offer. For the next three years, the family lived in Belgium and Germany yet were able to travel to all the surrounding European Nations as well; France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Austra, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, England, Scotland. Every experience brought more wondrous sights, fascinating cultures and beautiful people for her to enjoy.

They returned to the United States in 1972 and resumed their lives. The kids entered high school, Arlene took a job with a company called Santa Fe Intl and became the head secretary for the division director. Robbie continued to work at Hughes, and when he was offered another opportunity to go overseas in 1980- for five years this time- Arlene and he jumped at the chance.

Leaving the kids to maintain the house and finish up college and continue to work at their jobs, Arlene once again embarked on an adventure of meeting new people, living in new places, and travelling in new lands.

They returned in 1985 to their son graduating college, getting married, and their daughter working in data operations. The kids were settled and set on their own paths, so Arlene and Robbie decided it was time to retire and start travelling the United States in earnest.

From 1985 to 2010, Arlene and Robbie travelled extensively, stopping to visit the kids; Mark and his family in Arizona, Sharon in Tennessee, and other friends and family members scattered throughout the states.

In June of 2010, Robbie was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and on Dec. 11, 2010, he passed away. Arlene, on talking with her son and daughter, decided to sell her home in California, and began a nine-year adventure house hopping between her kids; six months of the year with her son Mark and his family in Arizona, then six months with her daughter and her husband in Tennessee. This gave her the wonderful opportunity to reconnect with her best friend, Helen Blood, who lives in TN not far from her daughter.

In 2019, the travel back and forth by plane became a little much for the now 90-year-old lady. Arlene decided it was time to set up a permanent home base; she chose Tennessee with her daughter.

The next few years were spent at church potlucks and parties with her best friend Helen, trips with her daughter and son-in-law to Kentucky and Mississippi, and happy memories made with new friends.

At 95 years old, Arlene still helped decorate the tree, applauded as the outside lights turned on and lit up the whole front of the house, held the wrapping paper and bows for her daughter as she covered presents which were then signed with such tongue-in-cheek wording as: to-
son-in-law from Santa’s mom-in-law, and “guess”.

On Christmas day, we got a call from my brother in Arizona, who introduced us to his new girlfriend over the phone. Arlene was thrilled to pieces, so happy for my brother, and stating that it was the best Christmas present she could have ever hoped for.

Unfortunately, Christmas night found Arlene in the hospital, and at 1:03 a.m. on Dec. 26, this beautiful little world traveler found a different life adventure to go on…

Arlene Rita Robinson is survived by her son Mark Robinson; her grandson Ryan Robinson and his partner, Nestor Munoz; her granddaughter Lauren Rodriguez, her husband Sam, and Arlene’s two great-grandbabies, Ryker and Ivy Rodriguez; her granddaughter Emily Del Russo, her husband Cody and Arlene’s third great-grandbaby, Aria; her daughter Sharon Gillum and her husband Billie J. (BJ) Gillum.

The Robinson Family will give service details at a future date.