Sarah ("Sally") Winston Robinson

Born November 2, 1924 in Detroit Michigan, Sally Robinson passed away on March 15, 2024 at age 99.

She resided in Osprey, Florida and previously lived in Birmingham, Michigan and spent summers in Old Bennington and Charlotte, Vermont. She was the beloved wife of Eliot Robinson whom she married in 1949 and together they shared 57 wonderful years of marriage and had four children. Eliot predeceased her in 2006.

Sally graduated from Bennington College in 1947 with a major in art and psychology and went on to receive her MFA from Wayne State University.

Vibrant and intellectually active to the end of her life, Sally possessed a strong curiosity about people and world events. You could always find her watching the national news at 7 pm and the Sunday morning talk shows. We knew not to interrupt her. She was driven by a passion for the arts and art-making, that came from her family background as the daughter of the noted art collector, Lydia Winston, and granddaughter of the famed Detroit industrial architect, Albert Kahn. She was highly accomplished herself in printmaking and the technique of Cliché-Verre and never stopped making art in her various home studios. Sally exhibited both nationally and internationally including a one woman show of her works at the Bertha Urdang Gallery in New York City.

Throughout her life Sally found the time and need to serve her community through an active involvement with Planned Parenthood, the Detroit Artists Market, the Bennington Museum, and, later when she moved to Florida, cataloguing and mounting rare plant specimens as a volunteer at Selby Gardens in Sarasota. She also volunteered at the Pine View Elementary School in Osprey where she shared her passion for ecology with children.

Sally was a determined competitor on the tennis courts well into her 80's. She then transitioned to croquet where she was regularly admired by younger players and her steady hand and excellent aim made her a superb player. And, her prowess in Scrabble left her children and friends chagrined at their losses.

However, most of all Sally valued friends and family. She was an incredible inspiration and role model to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She instilled in the next three generations her love of art, travel, and civic engagement. Most notably she showed us all what it takes to be a truly devoted mother and wife. Everyone who shared time with Sally said it was such a privilege to know this remarkable woman.

The family is so lucky to have had her in our lives for a cherished 99 years.

She is survived by her sister, Ernestine Ruben ( Herbert) of Princeton NJ, her children Peter Robinson of Bloomfield Hills, MI, Lydia Robinson of Princeton, NJ, Suzanne Buchsbaum (Andrew) of Old Bennington, VT and Sarah McGarghan (Kevin) of Charlotte, VT, 8 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a private family burial in Michigan. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, The Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation in Detroit, and The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center in Birmingham, Michigan.