Carolyn Jones Robbins

On June 21, 2023, Carolyn J. Robbins passed away peacefully after battling a brief illness. She was about a month shy of her 77th birthday. Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, to Capers and Armine Jones, she knew about good southern cooking, golf, and the proper way to entertain. Sister to Harold Jones (Beth) and Barbara Zacks (David), Carolyn enjoyed fresh-water fishing with her dad and making trips to his pharmacy store.

After high school, Carolyn moved to Gainesville, Georgia, to attend the all-girls Brenau University where she held various offices in student government. Her college stories consisted of mischievous, but innocent, pranks on her fellow classmates. Shortly after college, she met her husband, Arthur Hardenburg Robbins (Hardy) of St. Petersburg, Florida. After briefly living in South Florida, they settled in Pensacola, Florida. Together they had three children: Joe Robbins (Natasha), Deborah Robbins Cartes (Troy), and Alison Robbins Brantley (Andy). Hardy and Carolyn were married for 23 years before Hardy’s death in 1992. Carolyn never remarried, and poured her life into raising Joe, Deborah, and Alison.

While raising her three kids, Carolyn was a school teacher, more specifically, a P.E. teacher at Ransom Middle School. Carolyn loved playing and coaching sports, so this was a perfect fit for her. Over the years, she coached hundreds of girls in swimming, track, and basketball. Even after retirement, you could hear Carolyn at one of her grandkids’ sporting events coaching from the sidelines. Yeah, she was that person. She retired from Escambia County Public Schools in 2013 after 38 years of teaching.

After retirement, Carolyn spent as much time as possible with her grandchildren: Joshua, Rachel, Abigail, Britton, Tanner, Grayson, and Harper. She was their “Gigi,” her favorite title of all. Carolyn also enjoyed cooking and sharing food with the people she loved. All the southern comfort food staples–Carolyn had mastered the recipes. She had her favorite recipes starred in cookbooks that were falling apart from overuse, but her best recipes came from her family. Her pound cakes were of legendary status. If you’re reading this, chances are you already knew about her delicious pound cakes. Carolyn loved Christmas time. Her love for the season was displayed through multiple Christmas trees, twinkling lights, yard decorations, holiday baking, and Hallmark Christmas movies. Carolyn also loved playing with her one-year old golden retriever, Bentley.

Carolyn was a member of P.E.O., a philanthropic organization dedicated to raising money for women’s scholarships. Carolyn used her talent for cooking and entertaining by helping organize their annual fundraisers. She was a believer in Jesus and a member of Olive Baptist Church and the Route 66 Sunday School class. While Carolyn was mostly private about her faith, she found comfort in the preaching and reading of God’s Word. Psalms 23 and 121 were two of her favorites. She liked old hymns, and she appreciated it when the choir wore robes.

By far, Carolyn’s proudest accomplishments were her kids and grandkids. She loved them with all her heart.

Carolyn is survived by her 3 children and 7 grandchildren. The children invite you to her funeral service on Thursday, June 29th at 11:00 a.m. at Bayview Fisher-Pou Chapel, 3351 Scenic Hwy. Public visitation begins at 10:00 a.m.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BayviewFisher-PouChapel.com for the Robbins family.