soul

of blessed memory

continued from page 62

Art Was Her Life

A

The Detroit Jewish News Foundation
Mourns the Passing of its
Founding Vice President

Donald Lifton

Don’s wise counsel and vision for the
community were instrumental in shaping
and nurturing the independent, non-
ƉƌŽĮƚĞƚƌŽŝƚ:ĞǁŝƐŚEĞǁƐ&ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͘
We extend our condolences to his wife,
Susan, his family and the many friends and
ĐŽůůĞĂŐƵĞƐǁŚŽƐĞůŝǀĞƐŚĞƚŽƵĐŚĞĚ͘

Arthur Horwitz

President

On behalf of the
ĞƚƌŽŝƚ:ĞǁŝƐŚEĞǁƐ&ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶŽĂƌĚ
ŶĚ,ŽŶŽƌĂƌLJŽĂƌĚ

64

October 4 • 2018

jn

viva Robinson, 85, of
Bloomfield Hills, died Sept.
23, 2018.
Artist, arts supporter and dynamo,
Aviva was born in Detroit in 1933
to Esther and Abraham Freedman.
She graduated from Wayne State
University with a degree in art edu-
cation. She went on to a career as
a professional artist, specializing in
two- and three-dimensional
watercolor geometric forms
on handmade paper.
Her work is included in
the collections of the Detroit
Institute of Arts, Chrysler
Corporate Headquarters,
the Ford Motor Company
Executive Offices, IBM
Corporate Headquarters
and numerous other corpo-
rate and private collections. Her work
has been shown in 17 one-woman
exhibitions.
Aviva was an intrepid and enthu-
siastic traveler, orchestrating adven-
tures with Jack, their family and
friends old and new. Venturing to
the Galápagos Islands, Indonesia,
Mongolia and many other places, she
instilled a priceless love of travel and
a sense of adventure in her children
and grandchildren.
Mrs. Robinson was passionate
about environmental conservation,
was a spirited and accomplished
skier, and enjoyed spending time
with Jack and their family in
Colorado, beginning in the 1970s.
Aviva was also a gifted and imag-
inative chef, brilliant hostess and
voracious reader. She loved to spend
time in and around the water; she
enjoyed raising Wheaton terriers and
planned daring camping and hiking
trips before the invention of synthetic
fabrics.
Her passion for the arts inspired
her extensive lifelong support for
artists and art institutions. Aviva and
Jack purchased their first piece of
studio glass in 1971 and went on to
build an internationally recognized
collection of both established and
rising contemporary glass artists.
Together they donated a major
collection of works and endowed a
studio glass collection at the DIA in
1996, now named for them. They

have also gifted works in glass, jewel-
ry and other media to the Museum of
Arts and Design in Manhattan.
After their travel experiences
sparked an enthusiasm for the medi-
um, Aviva and Jack developed a deep
knowledge and extensive collection
of 19th-century Central Asian tex-
tiles. They later donated most of
their collection to the Minneapolis
Institute of Arts.
Aviva served as vice
chairperson of the board
of directors of the Detroit
Institute of Arts, a member
of the board of directors of
the Museum of Arts and
Design and was constantly
active with a wide variety
of other arts organizations.
Aviva and Jack were also
generous supporters of the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra and other
philanthropic organizations, includ-
ing the Fresh Air Society’s Camp
Tamarack Robinson Pioneer Village.
Her boundless enthusiasm and
wicked sense of humor inspired and
endeared her to both family and
friends.
Aviva Robinson was the beloved
wife for 62 years of the late Jack
Robinson; loving mother of Shelby
(Mikel Balogh) Robinson, Dr.
Beth (Stephen) Robinson Swartz,
and Abigail (Michael Kone)
Robinson. She was the cherished
“Grandmaviva” of Jared Robinson
Ross, Darya Robinson Ross, Kevin
Balogh, Gabriel Balogh, the late
Dylan Balogh, Nathan Robinson
Swartz (fiancé Elaine Lu), Molly
Robinson Swartz, Jonah Robinson
Kone and Ezra Robinson Kone. She
was the loving sister of Dr. Lorraine
(Stanleigh) Goldberg; and the dear
sister-in-law of the late Irwin (the late
Mildred) Robinson and Frances (the
late Bernard “Bob”) Maggin.
Interment was at Clover Hill
Park Cemetery. Contributions may
be made to the Fresh Air Society
Robinson Pioneer Village Fund; city
office: (248) 647-1100;
tamarackcamps.com/tributes;
or Hospice of Michigan, 43097
Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills,
MI 48302. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel. ■