Honoring Robyn
Image description: Robyn wears a pink shirt, stands, and throw her arms open wide in a tree grove.
Dear friends,
As we shared last week, long-time core member Robyn Dowell passed away on Saturday, June 1. She died peacefully in Gresham, OR, with her sister and a long time L’Arche assistant by her side.
The youngest of four sisters, Robyn was born and raised on her family’s farm in Sandy, OR. From her birth to her death, Robyn’s family cared so deeply for her, showing up endlessly and delighting in time together.
Robyn joined the L’Arche community in 2001, moving into Neahkahnie House. Robyn cultivated and enjoyed daily life with her housemates there, from weekly trips to Burgerville to community pizza nights. Robyn’s dynamic and vibrant personality was a hallmark of Neahkahnie. Robyn attended and loved the Exceed day program for decades, all the way until her death.
In 2022, Robyn’s changing needs necessitated a move to a new home. Robyn’s family and her L’Arche community worked together and found her a loving home in Gresham. Robyn was well-loved and happy there, enjoying frequent visits from her family and her L’Arche friends. Deep gratitude to Endale and the rest of the dedicated caregivers who supported Robyn in her last year and a half of life.
One of Robyn’s biggest passions was digging. Robyn had a love for the natural world and always believed that there was treasure just under the surface. She was so happy with a shovel in her hand, digging deep holes in the yard, collecting dozens of rocks— and trying her best to sneak the dirt-covered rocks into the house!
Image description: Robyn kneels on the ground with her arms open wide and a yellow bucket of dirt next to her.
Robyn had a brilliant, one of a kind vocabulary. To this day, people who shared life with Robyn find themselves using her catchy phrases. Her arsenal included: Honkin' it, ketchup day, gravy lover, lay on the goop, I’m good at it, sneaky snack, I got a (sur)‘prise for you, gettin' it clean, might gonna’ find out.
Each night at dinner, after her housemate Cindy blessed the meal, Robyn would chime in with a "thank you, Cindy" without fail.
Rockin’ Robyn, as she was known by some, could often be found singing and dancing. She loved 70s and 80s music like: Dancing Queen and other ABBA tunes, Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler, Cyndi Lauper (or as Robyn called her, “the whopper”), and Hungry Eyes from Dirty Dancing. Robyn also enjoyed gentle music like This Little Light of Mine.
The list of things Robyn loved would go on for pages, but some memorable ones include: her housemate’s cat named Moki, Diet Coke, covering her food in ketchup, watching Star Trek and Little House on the Prairie, swinging at the playground across from her house, vacuuming, sweeping and organizing (whether it was the bookshelves at home, or the merchandise at Dollar Tree), and trips to the beach, Hawaii, and L’Arche Tahoma Hope.
Image description: Robyn stands in front of the ocean wearing a polka-dotted swimsuit and her arms open wide.
To Robyn, every day was her birthday.
Image description: Robyn sits on a window bench and smiles with a striped party hat on.
Most of all, Robyn cherished time with her family (especially her beloved sisters), friends and community. It brought Robyn lots of fulfillment to be with people she loved, and the feeling was so mutual.
The L’Arche Portland community will deeply miss Robyn, but her memory is alive in so many ways and we feel her legacy each day.
Robyn’s family invites all who knew Robyn to join them in celebrating her life at the following gatherings:
Thursday 6/13:
11am-1pm - Viewing at Sandy Funeral Home, 39551 Pleasant Street, Sandy, OR 97055
1pm - Service at Sandy Funeral Home Chapel
Saturday 6/22 at 1pm - Celebration of Life at Meinig Memorial Park, 17670 Meinig Ave, Sandy, OR 97055. Wheelchair accessible. Food provided.
Cards for Robyn’s family can be sent to L’Arche Portland, Attn: Robyn's family, 8501 SE Stephens St, Portland OR 97216
If you have any pictures of Robyn you’d like to share, please email them to Therese.deslippe@larche-portland.org
