Robin Linda Rushbrook

Robin’s love of learning spanned her lifetime. She began her long pursuit of higher education at Endicott College in 1968, where she studied art and photography, then going on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwestern University in 1973. There, she developed her passion for university teaching and research. In 1974, she was accepted to the social psychology program at Florida State University, specializing in experimental field research on the criminal justice system. At FSU, she received her Master’s degree, and finally her Ph.D. in 1980. It was at Florida State that Robin would meet her future husband, John, and quickly win his heart forever.

After graduation, she joined the faculty of the Psychology Department at Michigan State University, where she gained tenure in 1986. She co-authored and collaborated on 19 publications and specialized in the evaluation of social intervention programs. In 1990, she left MSU to be a full-time mother to her beloved daughter, Julia.

Inspired in part by her own mother’s long career as a teacher and school librarian, Robin returned to school to study Library Science, graduating from Wayne State University with her Master’s in Library and Information Science in 2008. In the following years, Robin became a well-known and beloved presence in the Capital Area District Library system, where she worked as a reference librarian.

As she pursued her educational achievements, Robin’s love for the arts never waned. She explored weaving, pottery, drawing, and photography in her free moments. Robin was also an accomplished quilter, and her creations were featured at the Lansing Art Gallery, Okemos Library, and Lansing City Hall in the early 2000s. She also brought her background in art into her volunteer work, serving as an assistant in art classes and programs for elementary-aged children in Haslett Public Schools.

She was preceded in death by her father, Harold Anthony Redner, and her mother, Cara Louise Redner (nee Duphney).

Robin is survived by her husband, John Charles Rushbrook, her daughter, Julia Rushbrook Bender, her son-in-law, Cory Micka Bender, her grandson, Isaac Edwards Bender, and her brother, Michael Lee Redner.

Robin was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, and a loyal and beloved friend to many in the Lansing area and beyond. Her legacy lives on in her academic contributions, the love of reading and books she instilled in those around her, the recipes she perfected across her lifetime passion for cooking, the quilts that adorn her home, and in our memories of her many acts of thoughtfulness and kindness which graced our lives. She will live on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know her.

The time and location of Robin’s celebration of life are to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her honor to The House of the Good Shepherd (www.hgs-utica.com), 1550 Champlin Avenue, Utica, NY 13502. 315-235-7600.