Erma Doris Milks Robinson Died on January 27, 2013 with her children and care-givers at her side. She was born on September 11, 1920 in Saginaw, Michigan. Erma retired from the Lansing Michigan Public Schools after a teaching career of 28 years, during which time she taught in Upminster England for one year and studied and researched learning centers in Europe for another year. She began teaching in a one-room rural school and ended her career as a student teacher liaison with Michigan State University. Erma, and her beloved "Red", moved to GreenValley Arizona in 1983 and relocated to Tuscon Arizona in the mid 1990s. She died while a resident at Hummingbird Extended Care Facility in Tucson where she received extraordinarily loving care. Erma was a very active member of the Grace United Methodist Church in Lansing Michigan and the Valley Presbyterian Church in Green Valley where she served as an ordained deacon. She volunteered as a reader to preschool children at Los Ninos de Valle Preschool, was a member of PEO, and a founder of the Tuscon/Green Valley Chapter of the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel. She loved people and thrived on contacts with family and friends. Her special interests were real estate and traveling. She and "Red" visited all but one continent. Erma is survived by her daughter, Janice Robinson Nelson, (Nicholas), and son James Robinson, (Cynthia Woods), four grandchildren, Craig and Mark Nelson, Jordan and Quinn Woods-Robinson and 6 great grandchildren, Nick and Nathan Oatley, Colton, Aria and Camille Nelson and Olivia Grace Woods-Robinson. Also surviving are two nieces and a nephew, Becky Blazer Patten, Kathi Proctor Elliott, and Doug Blazer. Preceding Erma in death was her husband of 68 years, Elmer (Red) Robinson, her sister and brother-in-law, Mildred Milks Blazer and Robert Blazer, her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Lillian Robinson Proctor and Vernon Proctor, her granddaughter, Carrie Nelson Oately, and her parents, Ed and Grace Milks. A memorial service will be held at the Valley Presbyterian Church chapel in Green Valley, Arizona on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Memorial gifts may be directed to CASA de la Luz, Hospice of Tucson, Arizona.

Published in Lansing State Journal on March 6, 2013