Robin Lynn Smith Age 57, passed away June 22, 2017. Born November 21,1959, in Hyannis, Massachusetts, to Jean and George Smith.
Survived by her beloved husband of 36 years, Dean Schneider; children, Julie Schneider (Brian Henderson) and Andrew (Tessa) Schneider; parents, Jean Lowther, and George Smith; sisters, Heidi Waddell, Laura Rosenfield, and Diana Beckwith.
Robin graduated from Smith College and taught school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, Newark, New Jersey, and spent the last 24 years teaching second grade at Ensworth School in Nashville. An avid reader, Ms. Smith also reviewed books for Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, and the Horn Book Magazine. Knitting brought her much pleasure, and she especially enjoyed teaching her young students to knit along with their school skills. Her proudest accomplishment was watching her children grow into caring, responsible adults.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alive Hospice, any public library, or Planned Parenthood. Ashes will be sprinkled in the Atlantic Ocean near Little Cranberry Island, Maine.
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I’m so very sorry to hear this. I only met Robin once, but her spirit and her work reverberated throughout the children’s literature community. She will be missed. . . My deepest sympathies to her family.
Love to all whose life was touched by Robin. She is in our hearts.
Robin is the one of 4 beautiful daughters of my very dear friend, Jeanie, who was not near enough for me to get to know well. I regret that, but feel blessed in knowing the other three and all their families. Be at peace, dear Robin.
My condolences to the entire family. Rest In Peace Robin. You touched so many lives …. the world is a better place with you having made your mark.
Heidi, My thoughts and prayers are with you, I also lost my sister on Wednesday. She was three years older than your sister. Life just doesn’t stay the same, does it.
Robin was an outstanding teacher who left her mark on so many students, two of which are our children. She will be greatly missed by the Ensworth community and by many personally.
Robin, we love you forever! Love to Dean, Julie and Andrew, Brian and Tessa, and everyone else in your family. You were truly a shining star in this world
who uplifted so many lives. Thank you for your greatest heart, your stunning sweaters, your friendliness, your laugh, and your passionate love for literature.
We, the Meance family from Haiti,were very fortunate to have had Robin as a friend. She had adopted our native community and was an angel for a few families who were victims of the 2010 earthquake. May she rest in peace.
To the Family of Robin, who was my son Alex’s 2nd grade teacher. I still have some of the knitted hats that she taught my son to make :). Robin sent Alex a birthday greeting every single year until his passing in 2015. During that year, she sent us one of the most heartfelt and encouraging notes that to this day continues to stay with me. My condolences to the entire family. The Abernathy’s became fast friends w/ Ms. smith. Rest in Peace Robin.
My thoughts and prayers to Robin’s family. Robin was a powerful force of caring, generosity, kindness and skill. She was a master teacher and knitter (along with many other crafts). I will miss her, a lot.
Dean, Andy, and Julie – so many of us will miss Robin’s laugh, her tone-perfect expression of book opinions, her openness, her warmth, sense of humor, and generosity. I send you all love and hugs. I’ll always treasure the beautiful purple mohair purse she knitted for me one of the several times I stayed with you. I feel so lucky to have known her!
Robin’s bright spirit always added so much life to CLNE gatherings! I will miss her warm friendliness and her deep knowledge and thoughtful and clear discussions of books! She was such a pleasure to work with during the years that we gathered books for the wonderful presentations that she and Deb gave! And, she was so generous! When I think of her, I think of light!
You are in my thoughts and my deep sympathy.
I can still see Robin’s contagious smile and colorful socks as she quickly walked her students through the Halls of Ensworth! She not only taught my children how to knit hats for themselves but she taught them the importance of sharing their talents with others by donating their hats to the newborn babies at our local children’s hospital. Thank you Robin for caring, teaching and loving our children. Thank you Dean, Julie and Andrew for sharing your mom with all of us who entered the doors each day at Ensworth. Thinking of Robin makes me want to go read a children’s book to my adult kids! She will be lovingly remembered. Fondly, Diana, Jeff, Hunter, Holden and Campbell Mobley
I can still see Robin’s contagious smile and colorful socks as she quickly walked her students through the halls of Ensworth. She not only taught my children how to knit hats for themselves but she taught them the importance of sharing their talents with others by donating their hats to the newborn babies at our local children’s hospital. Thank you Dean, Julie and Andrew for sharing your mom with all of us who entered the doors of Ensworth. Thinking of Robin makes me want to go read a children’s book to my adult children!She will be lovingly remembered. Thank you Robin. Fondly, Diana, Jeff, Hunter, Holden and Campbell Mobley
To dear Dean, Julie, Andrew, and the beautiful family that Robin has made possible: My visits to your home and with the Ensworth students are some of my most buoyant memories. Every one of her second-graders knits! The rocking chair and story haven in Robin’s classroom. Robin’s jubilant sense of how to spend an hour on a walk among trees just because we hadn’t had enough visiting time. The lemon yellow wool bag she knitted for me. The blue and purple one. Her insights about children and books and justice and living. Her laugh! Her unique Christmas cards. Her inclusive sense of friendship. Her generosity of so many different kinds. The richness of her mind. Her lovely presence. So many, many of us mourn. I send you my sympathy, such an inadequate thing but it’s what we have.
I am so sorry to hear of Robin’s passing. I went to High School (D-Y) with Robin. I remember her smile and her laugh, a trait which sounds
like she carried with her through out her life! My prayers are with you all during this difficult time.