Robin Gale VanBuskirk

On Tuesday, July 11th of 2017, the world lost a loving Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Friend, and Christian. She fought through with a broken body yet still managed to find joy, happiness, a sense of purpose, and share a broken hallelujah.

She wore many hats in her short life, and affected so many people and families that the world is a better place for having her in it.

Beginning in 1966, she was born the first daughter in California. She would grow and take it as her responsibility to nurture and protect her younger siblings both in school and at home. She then went on to college: she had the option of a full ride in California or she could take the challenge of a new place with new friends.

Suffice to say, she took the less beaten path and met her future husband, Mark, while attending school in Lubbock, TX in 1984. Her new life was just beginning - and in taking that chance, she and Mark also had their first child. While she did take a chance and forge a new path, she didn't forget her friends and family behind her in California as she would make sure to send weekly letters and frequent phone calls back home.

Her life would take another change for the better as she and her husband then traveled to Irving, TX in 1986, with their little one in tow, and began to grow and nurture her new found family. They would later have 3 more kids – leaving them with 4 obstinate, energetic sons – and in tune with her patience and resilience, she somehow survived a home with five guys and one bathroom.

When you hear the words "Soccer Mom", then you probably see her. She was very involved in encouraging her sons to be involved in activities like soccer, karate, boy scouts, and much, much more. While she may not have known all the rules to the sports, that didn't stop her from shouting and screaming at the top of her lungs when one of her kids would narrowly save the team or when they would go offsides. Whether the activities were complex or simple, boring or exciting, she made sure to be as active and encouraging as possible. This encouragement would later provide her kids with the self-esteem they would need to "conquer the world".

In 2001, she and her family uprooted and found a new home in Tyler, TX. There, she followed her kids even more closely as they participated in Marching Band and even Academic Decathlon – not as exciting as it sounds, but she sure knew how to make it more so. She tried a few different occupations before settling with one that best took advantage of her innate spiritual gifts such as patience, love, kindness, and hospitality.

She began to work as the Activity Coordinator for a retirement home where she left a lasting legacy providing exciting and interactive events – one after the other – she even encouraged her kids and husband to join in the fray – whether it was an Easter egg hunt or a luau or 1950's diner party, if you thought you'd seen grandiose you would still be amazed. By bringing family in, she was able to teach intrinsic core values to her family while making sure that the elderly members AND their families were able to make the most of their time together. In fact, the luau she set up became the first date for her oldest son and his future wife and the Halloween party sealed the deal.

You see, she wasn't afraid to challenge someone she barely knew to do their best, get out of their comfort zone, and have a little fun. At the luau, she managed to get her sons and her future daughter-in-law to help teach the elderly and their families how to do a little hula-hula dance. There was a certain quality about her that enabled her to pull people out of their safety bubble and get them to truly enjoy themselves to the point they kept coming back. Her involvement like this included all three of her daughters-in-law because to her, a successful mother of four boys, having some girls to talk with was an ageless wish and prayer that had finally come to fruition.

While doing all these amazing things, she was already fighting epilepsy, seizures, debilitating migraines, and diabetes. She would later be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Meniere's Disease as her body began to break-down. The amazing thing here, though, is that it DIDN'T even stop her! She fought on and declared a broken Hallelujah because she was not about to let her condition OR her body limit her or keep her from having joy, fun, and love in her life.

She never took the easy route and also never gave in. Some might call that naivete; but to all who knew her, or grew to know her before she finally found rest: she was intelligent, wise beyond her years, an exciting and exhilarating soul, a loving and nurturing friend, a caring mother, a blessed wife, a blissful grandmother, a loving daughter, an older sister, a endearing mother-in-law, a Christian who would not give up, and a joyful woman with a never-give-up attitude that would go on to leave a lasting legacy that people all around would strive to attain.

She truly believed that even with a broken body, a life full of happy and sad events: nothing could hamper her spirit nor hold her back because she was darned if she was going to let anyone or anything keep her from living and loving – she finally had daughters-in-law and grandbabies and was excited to spoil and play with them as long as God willed it – and because of that, the world is a much better and happier place.

She is survived by her loving husband, Mark and four sons, three daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren: Nathan (Jules) (little Katie Belle), Jason (Dani), Josh (Lacey) (little Aiden and Luke), and Jeremy. She's also survived by her Mother, Betty and predeceased by her Father, Wesley. She's survived by two sisters: Annie (Jason), Karla (Jack), a brother Andy (Jackie) and numerous nephews and nieces. The innumerous friends who became family are a reminder of the love she shared with everybody around her.

A memorial and celebration of her life will be held at the West Erwin Church of Christ of Tyler, TX on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at 2PM.