Sally Horton Morrow Robinson

Born in DuBois, PA, in 1929, to Lydia Jane (Hutton) and Charles Tracy Morrow, Sally Horton Morrow spent her elementary and middle school years in Brookville and Wyomissing, PA, respectively. She completed her first two years of high school in Cape May, NJ—where her father helped build a plant that used seawater and calcium to produce magnesite brick during World War II—and the last two in Wilmington, DE, where the family moved after her father took a job with DuPont. She graduated from Alexis I. DuPont High School in 1947. At Cornell University (BA, psychology and sociology, 1951), she joined the Delta Gamma sorority; many of the friendships she formed with her DG sisters endured for a lifetime. Her best beau and future husband, Paul Richard Robinson (a Penn graduate with whom she would enjoy an amicable, lifelong alma-mater rivalry), often visited her at the DG house while working for DuPont in Rochester, and during her senior year he proposed to her at the top of Cornell’s Libe Tower. Married in 1952 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE, the couple spent the next seventy years together, raising a family, caring for their aging relatives, traveling widely, participating and providing leadership in numerous church and community organizations, and maintaining ever-deepening ties with their three geographically dispersed children while also cultivating strong and enduring relationships with their grandchildren.

Sally was blessed with a contemplative, inquiring mind and an irrepressible, adventurous spirit. When, in 1963 (their children’s ages 4, 6, and 8), her husband hesitantly broached the possibility of a job transfer to Frankfurt, Germany, she instantly responded with “What are we waiting for?” Thus began five of the most formative years of the Robinson family’s life and yet another wellspring of lifelong friendships and priceless memories—most of which are entertainingly chronicled in the airmail epistles Sally regularly penned to stateside relatives throughout those years. In 1970, shortly after their return to Wilmington, she and Paul bought the home that for the next 53 years would serve as “Robinson Central” for countless gatherings of family and friends. Following Paul’s DuPont retirement in 1984, the couple’s frequent travels—to the Galapagos, Kenya, Costa Rica, Iceland, the Holy Land, in the steps of Martin Luther, and many other national and international destinations—enhanced and extended their shared interests in wildlife, natural landscapes, multicultural interactions, and theological history. Later, though, the destination Sally came to enjoy most was her own backyard in Wilmington—a cherished source of the peace, quiet, and spiritual replenishment that sustained her during her final years. She took endless pleasure in watching the bird, squirrel, fox, and lightning bug populations that also found sanctuary there.

Sally was a gifted home-maker, in the best sense of the word, finding satisfaction in creating and maintaining beautiful and welcoming living spaces for family and guests—and in creating and serving memorably delicious and festive meals. But she also participated in numerous community organizations and enterprises—among others, the local Cornell alumni club, the University of Delaware’s Academy of Lifelong Learning (now Osher LLI), and the Delaware Nature Education Center (now Delaware Nature Society), where from 1972 to 1980 she and her friend Ann Rydgren job-shared the position of Field Studies Coordinator. As a longtime Westminster Presbyterian Church member, she faithfully served in multiple institutional roles over the years, including (to name a few) session elder, family worship program planner, women’s circle leader, Women of Westminster board member, caring friend to homebound church members, and volunteer receptionist; in 2000, she was named Westminster Woman of the Year. In the 1970s, she and Paul, along with several other Westminster couples, formed the legendary “Beer and Bible” group. They were also regular attendees at Westminster’s lay education seminars and participated in Disciple Bible Study. In the 2000s, the two became core members of a Tuesday-morning Bible study group that met weekly at 6:30 AM…no sleeping in that day!

Throughout her life, Sally was an avid reader. Her first and most enduring favorite book was Heidi; in middle age she became an ardent Madeleine L’Engle devotee; and in her last years she especially loved the works of Wendell Berry and Brian Doyle. She was also a family genealogist, archivist, and records keeper (her annual calendars dating back to the 1950s have served as an epic reference tool). She kept up on local and international events, rarely missing a PBS Newshour broadcast—or a Phillies game, for that matter—and enjoyed discussions on pretty much any topic. Her heart was huge; her faith was strong; and her love ran deep. A deeply private person, she only rarely shared her innermost personal reflections with others; but her unending kindness, joy, and frequent laughter were balm for countless spirits.

Sally’s surviving family members include her children Peter (Kristin), Tracy Ann, and Christopher (Jeanette); her grandchildren Julia (Patrick), Kirsten, Eric, Alison, Nicholas, and Peter Clair; her great-grandson Kristopher; and the many nephews and nieces for whom she cared deeply. Her earthly passing constitutes a profound personal loss for each of us—even as we rejoice at her release from increasingly burdensome physical suffering and in her long-anticipated reconnection with her beloved Paul and the many other friends and relatives (including her two younger brothers, Bob and Tom) who preceded her in death. Her parting message to those she has left behind: “I’ve enjoyed my life—that’s my going-out motto. So live a little! Live a lot!”