Josephine A. Robbins, 86, died peacefully in Keene, NH on June 2nd after a brief illness.
Born to Ruth and George Varney, of Berwick, Maine, she grew up in Kittery and attended high school at the Traip Academy. She received an undergraduate degree from Westbrook College in Portland, Maine, and went on to post graduate study at the Chamberlain School of Retailing in Boston.
After a 19 year marriage to Lawrence Robbins, she returned to Eliot, ME to live with her parents, whom she cared for at home until their deaths. She remained a citizen of Eliot and loved the state of Maine deeply.
Jo was employed for many years at the Portsmouth Regional Medical Center and made many friends there in her role as a telephone operator.
She volunteered time to several local organizations, and was active in town and state politics, serving on the republican town committee in Eliot, and several times as republican state committee woman
Jo loved to play bingo and could be seen regularly at several bingo halls in Maine and New Hampshire.
Mrs. Robbins was preceded in death by her nephew, George Dean Varney, III and she is survived by her two sons; Dr. Larry Robbins and his wife Kathleen, of Spofford, NH and Dr. Wayne Robbins and his wife Ellen, of Grand Blanc, Michigan. Her brother, George D Varney, Jr. and his wife Joann of Kittery Point, Maine, and her niece and nephew, Kathy Jo Varney of Lakeland, Fl. and Scott Varney of Kittery Point, ME. She also leaves five grand children, and one great granddaughter.
The family will hold a private memorial service, and burial will be at the Mount Pleasant cemetery in Eliot ME. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Berwick Academy 31 Academy Street South Berwick , ME 03908. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.jspelkeyfunerlhome.com