Emily Ann Brown was born on January 4th 1940 to O.P. Brown and Katie Pearl Brown. Her sister, Anita Jo St Clair was born 2 years later.
Emily graduated from North Side High School in 1958. During her tenure there she was a straight A student, vice president of the National Honors Society, member of the Spur Club, winner of the Steerhead Service award, and was a member of the “Who’s Who” in Art.
With a love for helping others growing in her heart, Emily decided to make teaching her life’s work. She attended Abeline Christian University (ACC back then) and graduated with honors in 1962. Little did she know that 30 years later her daughter would follow in her footsteps and attend the same school. She was immediately offered a teaching position at Bryan Adams High School and taught there until 1964. This was the year she decided to further her love for teaching by attending North Texas University in hopes of obtaining a Masters Degree, which she accomplished in 1966.
While teaching at Bryan Adams High School, Emily moved into an apartment with 3 of her girlfriends in East Dallas. While there she expressed an interest in her neighbors brand new 1963 Chevy Nova convertible. He asked her if she would like a ride and a romance blossomed immediately. Richard Robinson and Emily would be married 3 years later on September 1, 1966 and were lucky enough to sped 53 wonderful years together.
In 1966 Emily had the honor of being one of the first teachers hired at El Centro Junior College, starting an incredible journey that would last 39 years. While at El Centro, Emily taught typing and shorthand, which later served as her secret weapon against the prying eyes of a daughter trying to sneak a peek at that years Christmas list.
The couple moved to DeSoto Texas in 1973 and had a beautiful little girl the same year. They named her Renee Ann Robinson and that was the day Emily found her new passion in life, her children. Between teaching at El Centro, being a mother to Renee, and being an integral part of her church, Emily didn’t think her life could get any better. Then, in May of 1976 when their son, Mark Richard Robinson was born, it did. Emily devoted her life to being the most wonderful, caring, and nurturing mother anyone could have ever wanted. In fact, most of her kids friends didn’t want to come over to play, they wanted to come over because Emily was a mom to them also. The door was always open and if you left her house without being offered a sandwich, tacos, cake, cookies, water, soda, chips, or a ride home it was because…. Well it never happened.
Emily was friends with all her neighbors, even to this day, which speaks volumes about who she was. She had also become a fixture of her church, DeSoto Church of Christ, never missing a sermon or a chance to help in whatever event was taking place that week. The family she created made so many lasting memories in DeSoto that it was almost too hard to leave. However, they were ready to start the next chapter in their lives, and in 1994 the family moved to Coppell.
It was here Emily found her next passion in life, grandchildren. Renee would be first with a daughter, Peyton in 1999, and a son, Lawson in 2005. Memaw, as she would know be known, showered her grandkids with the same love and affection she had shown her kids for the last 20 years, she always had more love to give. She was a constant fixture in Peyton and Lawson’s lives as they went form diapers to soccer to driving. Picking up Peyton from band when her mom was working, taking Lunches to Lawson at school when he forgot it in the morning, and there was always after school trips to Sonic. Mark had a daughter, Violet in 2010, and when his wife, Kristin, was in the hospital on bed rest with their 2nd child she jumped on a plane and raced to California to help take care of Violet while Mark spent nights at the hospital. She was there on the night Charlie was born in 2012, comforting her son on the phone as he waited for news of the emergency surgery required to save Charlie’s life. Emily was also the first visitor Charlie ever had in the NICU, thus beginning yet another chapter in the never ending story of love and caring that was Emily. Charlie and Violet always looked forward to Memaw’s package coming to the house for every holiday, their favorite being the Halloween boxes. And on their birthdays the other would always get a gift, just because.
During a turbulent time in her daughters life, Emily, once again proved to be a pillar of strength for her kids and grandkids. Selflessly sacrificing her time to help Renee with the arduous task raising of her kids alone and having a career. In 2012 Renee and Bryon Lindsey were married, and Emily not only gained a son in law but she also gained 2 more wonderful grand children. Emily showered Hailey and Holt with the love of a maternal grandmother and in no time at all, they were calling her Memaw too.
Beyond being a wife, mother, and grandmother, Emily was a woman of faith. She always looked forward to Sunday morning service and the friends she had made at Riverside Church of Christ. She was active in social groups making lasting friends, and was always quick to befriend a new member of the church.
Emily is survived by her husband Richard, her daughter Renee, and her son Mark, her son-in-law Bryon, and her daughter-in-law Kristin. Her grandchildren, Peyton, Lawson, Hailey, Holt, Violet and Charlie, will all make the world a better place because the love that Emily bestowed on them will be returned into the universe everyday through their accomplishments. This will be her greatest legacy.
Emily is also survived by the lasting impression of love and caring she left on everyone she had the pleasure of meeting.
We ask that, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation on Emily’s behalf to the Gladny Center for
Adoption. If you would like to make a donation to another charity, well, Emily would have like that too.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18