Obituary - Robin S. Lingle

Thursday, February 15, 2007
THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Juneau resident Robin Sue Lingle died Jan. 31, 2007, in Juneau after a long bout with diabetes. She was surrounded by her family. She was 58.

She was born Dec. 16, 1948, in Monterey Park, Calif. She moved to Alaska with her father when she was a child. She attended Skagway City School from first grade until graduation in 1967.

A prolific piano player, she took lessons at the old Pius X Mission school in Skagway, and played many years for the home-grown Days of '98 Show and at graduations.

At less than 5 feet tall, she could barely reach the pedals, but she became known as "Bobbin' Robin."

She also was the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen runner-up in 1967.

She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Emblem Club and Eagles Auxiliary in Skagway.

She attended business college in Seattle for two years and returned to Skagway to work for the family's hardware store. She was the company bookkeeper and the cheery voice who answered the phone at Skagway Hardware for 32 years before her early retirement two years ago.

A year ago, when she could no longer live with the disease at home, she had to leave Skagway, eventually taking up residence at Wildflower Court, adjacent to Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau. The family is grateful for the love of the special caregivers at Wildflower Court.

She had two cats, Christopher and Baby.

She is survived by her "hubby," Ross Lofton, of Skagway; sons, Jacob Lofton, of Juneau, and Hopi Lofton, of Seattle; parents, Ben and Bea Lingle, of Skagway and Mesa, Ariz.; sisters, Kathy O'Daniel-Dietrick and her husband, Bob, of Juneau, and Dorothy Brady and her husband, Jeff, of Skagway; brothers, Mike O'Daniel and his wife, Sylvia, and John O'Daniel and his wife, Janet, of Skagway; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and many friends in Skagway.

Memorial donations may be made in her name to the Paws and Claws Animal Shelter in Skagway.

A memorial service will be held in Skagway in the spring.