Faith W. Robertson

Faith Lee Witham came into this world September 24, 1922, delivered by her father, Raymond Lee Witham in the kitchen of the home her parents recently purchased in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. A scholarly man of practical nature, he considered the birth a simple matter of engineering, one he could solve with his own two hands. He imparted this straightforward approach to life, as well as a deep love for numbers and problem solving, to his daughter, Faithy, who also inherited the kindly and generous attitudes of her mother, Marion Emma Witham, nee Tasker.

Though spared the worst of the ill-effects of the great depression, she developed, like many children who grew up during that era, an appreciation for frugality, sensibility, and the easy joy of the simple things in life: a trip with her father to the 1939/1940 World’s Fair, and glory of the big band sound; how gladly she would join in to “swing and sway with Sammy Kaye.”

During World War II, thousands of women were recruited to fill the jobs left by men. Faith was encouraged by her engineering Dad to enroll in an intense course at Cornell University that was meant to prepare women to fill aeronautical engineering jobs left by men who went off to serve in the military. Upon completing the course at Cornell, Faith went to work for Grumman and Curtis Wright on Long Island. Faith loved aeronautical engineering and may have gone on to study further in the field, but, after the war, times being what they were, she settled on another love: World War II Technical Sergeant Grade 4 vet George Robertson.

Married at Eastertime (because you didn’t need to buy flowers for the wedding, the church would already be decorated), she exhibited her love for organization by naming her children in alphabetical order: Arthur Lee, Bruce Alexander, Craig Tasker, Drusilla Miriam, and Erica Constance. Bridging “Faith” and “George” the family yielded a neat 7-letter run.

Her deep involvement in the First Unitarian Church of Flushing helped to bring up and imbue her children with the benefit of a solid sense of fairness, social justice, and equal rights. And although she had tragedy and challenges in her own life, the loss of her husband, the bringing up of five children through adolescence on her own, she proved to be an invaluable model of strength and calm in the face of hardships. She had a seemingly endless positive attitude.

After 95 years of largely good health and happiness, and living a fulfilling life, Faith W. Robertson passed on at 2:59 am of February 3, 2018, over a week after a massive stoke. All her children got a chance to say their goodbyes her last night. She had seen 17 presidents (more than a third of all presidents), two World’s Fairs, a handful of wars, the advent of television, the British Invasion, and innumerable other political and social movements and events. She leaves behind, in addition to her five loving children, six adoring grandchildren, her Church family and neighbors she’s known for many decades.

It is a special request of the children of Faith W. Robertson that you not wear all black clothing at the viewing. We are celebrating her life. Wear something colorful that you feel comfortable in.

Donations are not necessary. However, if one wishes to make one in Faith’s honor, the family suggests a donation to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Queens, 147-54 Ash Ave., Flushing, NY 11355, though the family deeply feels that simply living a life that reflects Faith’s character and approach to life is certainly as generous and kind a contribution that one can make.