Arlene Robinson Obituary (1934 - 2023)

Wanda Arlene Robinson89, of Pleasant Grove passed away gently and peacefully Sunday, November 19, 2023 with her daughter by her side, and countless family and friends waiting to receive her on the other side. Preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Jim and Norman, her oldest daughter Michele (Dan) Cooper Strobell, and a great-grand daughter Alice Strobell. She is survived by her other 6 children: Debra (Cris) Cooper Wilson, Lisa (Solomon) Cooper Wolfgramm, Matthew (Margaret) Bishop, Rebekah (Gerald) Robinson Bunker, Rachel Robinson, and Mark Robinson, 29 Grandchildren, 27 Great-Grandchildren & 1 great-great grandson - with another child on the way, and her beloved dog Tristan. Wanda Arlene Robinson was born on January 12th, 1934, in Los Angeles, California to Wanda Harriet Hanson and Karl Lyman Jackson. Named after her mother, she went by her middle name. Arlene was the youngest of three children. She always believed in God, and although her parents did not attend, she would get dressed on Sundays and walk to the nearest church by herself. Any church. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and she was placed in the Maude Booth Orphanage in Los Angeles where she spent the next few years until she was able to live with her Aunt Nedra, and then she reunited with her mother who had remarried for her remaining childhood and teenage years. During this time the Hollywood Producer George Stevens came to the orphanage looking for a girl to play a part in a movie. He saw Arlene and asked if she knew any stories, and she told him, “I know the story of the three wise men.” And thus, Arlene played the 6-year-old version of the adopted daughter of Cary Grant and Irene Dunn in 1941’s Penny Serenade. But the real story of Arlene’s life was her faith in and devotion to her Savior, Jesus Christ. After graduating High School, Arlene’s father brought her to Utah to attend Brigham Young University. There she was taught and baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by one of her professors, Wes Belnap. BYU is also where she met and married Leslie Cooper. She followed him as they traveled from base to base during his Airforce service, and they were blessed with three daughters. They divorced and a few years later Arlene married Lynn Bishop and they had one son. They also divorced and a few years later, she married Don Richard Robinson and had two daughters and another son before separating. She always said she wanted twelve children, but the Lord gave her seven. Arlene’s life held two great loves, the Lord, and her children. She spent most of her parenting years as a single mother, but was an exceptional teacher and example of faith, family and sacrifice to her children and to others. Her early years in the orphanage affected her greatly. She was a very generous and kind person and saw everyone she met as her family. For Arlene, there were no racial, social, or economic barriers when it came to people. She was open and friendly and spoke to everyone wherever she was. Her children can attest to never leaving the grocery store or walking by someone on the sidewalk where she didn’t greet what most would consider strangers, as neighbors she had known all her life. She was very forgiving, and her motto was that everyone deserves a second chance. She was very funny, with a quick wit and a penchant for one-liners. She shared her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone. Arlene was an exceptionally intelligent woman. Her conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened a door to a world of wonder for her. And church history became her passion. Over her lifetime, she accumulated an impressive collection of church and religious history books. She made numerous trips to the Church Archives in SLC where she read every old journal she could find. She copied quotes and stories and then would compile them by topic at home. But she always believed the gospel belonged to everyone, so she would share copies of her findings with anyone she could. If she had belonged to the digital age, her followers would have been numerous. The fact that she gathered them one-by-one the old-fashioned way is incredibly impressive. Arlene gained her deep and extensive knowledge by faith and by study, she was also an example of someone who lived the gospel in word and deed. She was an exceptional woman whose legacy of faith will last for generations. She left a void in our hearts and lives. She will be greatly missed, and we look forward to seeing her again. In lieu of a funeral, Arlene chose to spend her last goodbye with her family in a private graveside service. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.olpinmortuary.com.