On the morning of Friday 10-09-2020 Robin Andrine Moriarty passed away suddenly and unexpectedly due to age and ongoing medical issues at the age of sixty eight and two months. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, stepmothers, and two stepsisters.
She was born to Ralph Earl Speulda and Vivian "Freddie" Delores Knutson Speulda in El Paso Texas on July 17th, 1952. The grandchild Henry Lee and Bessie Mae Wilhelm Speulda, and Burton Theodore and Julia Andrine Halverson Knutson. She grew up in El Paso Texas for most of her early life with a year in California as a baby/toddler. She was raised by her parents along with her stepmothers: Myrtle M. Hastings Butler and Evelyn Young Schad Speulda.
During her sophomore year of high school she moved to Minnesota along with her sister Sandy Sue Speulda, mother and stepmother Myrtle. She graduated with honors from West High School in Minneapolis in 1970. She met her future husband Timothy J. C. Moriarty in college while she was studying French at the University of Minnesota and they were married in January 1971. They had two beautiful children (Shannon Andrine and Ian Adrian) during their years together. Robin and Tim divorced in April 1991 while Ian and Shannon were in elementary school. Robin raised Ian and Shannon in their home in Coon Rapids MN. Robin gave her children every opportunity she could. She made sure her children took swim lessons, dance lessons, played baseball, and knew they were loved deeply. After the divorce, Robin went back to college at the University of Minnesota to study Psychology and American Studies. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree while raising two children full time on her own. She truly was an inspiration and role model for her children.
She worked at several companies including Damark and Medical Arts Press, known as MAP to her and her friends. At Medical Arts Press she was one of the leading customer service representatives. She worked the late start shift for many years of her career which allowed her to have many breakfasts and special times with her son Ian. If she answered your customer service call it truly was a pleasure. She was the go to person to calm any situation. She truly understood people and was a master of handling difficult situations. Co-workers would often ask her for assistance long before the supervisors were called in. Even the supervisors would request her help because she truly was so knowledgeable and kind that people just wanted to listen to her.
Robin was the Mom who was at every baseball game, every music performance, every concert, every play, every science fair, every martial arts tournament, every graduation, every ceremony, and showed up fully for every event that her children took part in. She always showed up and she could be counted on. Robin was part of the community through committees and volunteering. She was active in her children's education, always volunteering to be in the classroom or to watch someone’s kids for them.
Robin loved her church communities as well. She chose to raise her children Lutheran because she found an amazing community at Christ Lutheran Church in Blaine Minnesota that was right for her. She participated in potlucks, bible studies, Mommy groups, taught Sunday School, and so much more. It was part of who she was; always growing and always involved.
For Robin one of the communities that really became extended family in MN was that of her karate family. Robin might as well have had her black belt given how much martial arts as she participated in, though she never practiced martial arts herself. When her daughter was still training and competing she could be found time keeping and score keeping in the corner of her ring or cheering loudly from the stands. She watched her daughter with so much pride and love, it isn’t surprising her daughter became the world champion that her mother always saw her as. After her daughter retired from competition and moved out of state, Robin never stopped attending these tournaments. Robin was welcomed by each and everyone of the North Central Karate Association (NCKA) tournament promoters to continue her volunteering and love for the sport, even without Shannon competing. Robin enjoyed many trips back to MN to participate in Diamond Nationals. These visits had become the highlight of her year. She had many lifelong friendships made in this sport and they meant the world to her.
In 2009 she and her son moved to Everett Washington to be closer to her daughter who had been living there since 2005. In Washington Robin made many friends and built another loving community around her. Robin saw her daughter meet and marry her husband (Mark Deacon) and witnessed the birth of her grandchildren, Zync and Xander Deacon. Once those grandchildren were born, her world revolved around them and she looked forward to every hug and snuggle. The bond she shared with Zync and Xander was beyond special. These boys were lucky to be loved so deeply and to share their experiences in martial arts, dancing, and life with Robin. She has been there for all of their firsts. Those two boys extended Grammie’s life and were such a blessing to her.
Here in Washington she found her church home at Prince of Peace Lutheran in Everett. This was the place where she was able to become connected and form the community of friends that she loved so much here. She was a regular annual volunteer for the vacation bible schools in the summer and could be seen at the 10am ish service most Sundays until recently. Mostly because mornings were not her thing, especially as she got older. Her friends from church included so many that she held dear. She has watched a few pass before her including David and Don, whom she is probably playing cards with now.
Throughout her life she made many friends, touched and/or helped many lives, and had many adventures throughout the United States, and Canada. She loved her family and friends and truly treasured any time that she could spend with them. She loved so many people and they knew it. She would give the most amazing hugs and loving embraces. Sometimes refusing to let go and turning it into a game. She loved dragons, coffee, angels, holidays, anything purple, computer games, movies, going to the movies, getting dressed up, wearing masks, coloring and styling her hair to match her feelings and outfits, her green Nissan cube that she called alternately the Green Lantern and the Dragon Wagon, and most of all she loved her many family and friends.
Robin was genuine, loving, kind, beautiful, and the type of person many of us long to be. Her kindness and love was relentless, catching, and sincere. Her love always extended to those around her. May her soul rest in peace knowing that everyone she knew is better because they knew her. You can always call on the spirit of Robin when you need her and she will be there, coffee in hand.
She is survived by her sister Sandy Speulda, her son Ian Adrian Moriarty, her daughter Shannon Andrine Moriarty Deacon, son-in-law Mark Deacon, her Nephews; Russell Speulda, Colin Walker, Ryan Walker, Joe Walker; Her nieces: Laurie Schad Reid, Stacey Schad O'Connell; Grandsons Zync and Xander Deacon, her many Grand Nieces and Grand Nephews, her many cousins, and the rest of her extended family and friends.
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Please take a minute to write down a memory or story about Robin for us all to enjoy. Each memory shared feels like a piece of her connecting us together, keeping us grounded as we process not being able to physically hug her.
When you celebrate her life, it is asked that you put on bright colors, a funny hat, or color your hair because that is what she loved doing. She loved standing out and not conforming to the norms. She did it beautifully and with such spunk. Spread as much laughter, love, and joy as you can find in your heart to do in her honor.
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Her obituary was in the Everett Herald and Minneapolis Star Tribune today, links below:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/heraldnet/obituary.aspx
https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/0000371286/
https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/todays/?page=2
Please leave messages for our family here and take 40minutes to watch a beautiful tribute movie of her life: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/.../robin-moriarty-9699604
Information:
She will be cremated after a small intimate viewing per her wishes. The viewing will be held at Evergreen Funeral Home on Friday October 16th, see details below on how to participate virtually or in person. The celebration of life funeral/memorial service are being held digitally from Prince of Peace Lutheran in Everett, WA to ensure safety, access, and good health to her friends and family during the ongoing covid nineteen pandemic. At a later date some of her ashes will be interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Everett, Washington while the remainder will be scattered at Mount Rainier in Washington, when summer returns.
If you would like to help with the costs, here is an option: https://gf.me/u/y4gw7f
We are working out the details for my Mom’s viewing and celebration of life. As we finalize the details will be shared here.
Visitation/Viewing details found below:
Friday October 16th: Robin Moriarty's Visitation at Evergreen Funeral Home
- 5pm to 5:30 Live Stream Viewing/Visitation at Evergreen Funeral Home with Pastor Jack Richards
- 4:30pm to 7:30pm at Evergreen Funeral Home (4504 Broadway, Everett, WA 98203).
- 6:45pm to 7:45pm Live Zoom Viewing
Celebration of Life details found below:
Saturday October 24th 10:30am (Pacific Std Time, PST): Celebration of Life for Robin Moriarty
Celebration of Robin Moriarty's Life @ 10:30am (PST) on Saturday October 24th
Shannon Deacon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Celebration of Robin Moriarty's Life
Time: Oct 24, 2020 10:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://wwu-edu.zoom.us/j/87895713789?pwd=TTJENTFqclNmVVo4c2E2YTBBZnFrUT09
Meeting ID: 878 9571 3789
Passcode: CH0YgL
We will be live streaming the event via Zoom on October 24th online from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Everett, WA and will be presided over by Pastor Gib Botten. If you would like to attend in person, you are welcome to, the address is: 9320 Meadow Way Everett, WA 98208 (https://pplc.org/)
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/everett-wa/robin-moriarty-9699604
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