M
arilyn Robinson, 93,
of Aventura, Fla., died
Nov. 5, 2023.
Marilyn was
born in Toledo,
Ohio. At an early
age, she was
encouraged to
enroll in art class-
es at the Toledo
Museum of Art
to enhance her
natural artistic abilities. There
she was exposed to classical art.
She graduated from Scott High
School, class of 1948, majoring
in art. Upon graduation, she
worked in the art department of
a local paper company.
She married and devoted her
attention and talents to their four
children. During this period,
she also led adult Great Books
groups, advancing critical, reflec-
tive thinking and social and civic
engagement of people of all ages.
When her youngest child
entered school, Marilyn entered
college at Butler University,
taking 10 years to earn a B.A.
at Wayne State University in
Detroit. She graduated Phi Beta
Kappa and majored in English
literature and French. She then
taught high school English for
several years at Ferndale High
School and during the summers
worked for the Neighborhood
Youth Corps.
At that time in her life, art was
her avocation. She took a class
here and there at the Bloomfield
Art Center and from private
teachers, where she met and
later married Marvin Robinson.
Together they moved to Florida
and traveled extensively through-
out the world.
In Florida, she returned to
her art. She attended classes at
Broward Community College,
Florida Atlantic University and
the Broward Art Guild. There
were also seminars with Miles
Batt, Paul Jenkins, Winifred
Godfrey and Jeanne Dobie. For
22 years, she was a docent at the
now named NSU Art Museum
Fort Lauderdale, where she
shared her love of art and devel-
oped treasured friendships with
other docents and the museum’s
curator.
Marilyn was a prolific painter
and often entered her paintings
in juried sidewalk shows. Her
paintings are primarily con-
cerned with women and the
female condition. The acrylic
series called A Woman’s Place
considers the options, dilemmas
and fears of the women in today’s
changing society. Her flowers
(oils) reflect femininity, strength
and growth.
After her husband died,
Marilyn became active in var-
ious women’s organizations:
American Association of
University Women, Women’s
Consortium, the League of
Women Voters, OWL (Older
Women’s League); in the latter,
she later served as national pres-
ident.
She created a women’s invest-
ment group, led financial and
health seminars; lobbied Florida’s
legislature to eliminate the state’s
financial discrimination against
women and fought for preventive
women’s health care. In 2004, as
part of “Women Inspiring Hope
and Possibility,
” she was induct-
ed into the Broward County
Women’s Hall of Fame for “her
significant contribution to soci-
ety and to the progress and free-
dom of women.
”
Ten years later, in 2014,
Marilyn chose to move into the
Vi at Aventura and began a new
chapter in her life, becoming a
part of a community that felt like
An Artist & Advocate
Marilyn
Robinson
80 | NOVEMBER 23 • 2023
J
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