Joyce Ellen Robinson, 82, of Colorado Springs, passed away on September 23, 2015. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 13, 1932 to the late Arthur and Katherine (North) Knecht. After completing high school she graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1954 with a degree in Child Psychology. Joyce continued her schooling by obtaining a degree in Education and studied Fine Art, Music and Elementary Education. She received her Masters Degree in 1970 and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2009.
Joyce began her teaching career in 1955; working in elementary schools in Ohio, Texas, Boulder, Colorado and finally in Colorado Springs until 1968. She began working in the Arts department in 1968, taping art classes for School District #11, which were broadcasted to 38 area schools until 1977. For the next ten years she was the Director of the Bemis Art School for Children, which was part of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. In 1987 she accepted the position of Vice President and Executive Director of the Marie Walsh Sharp Art Foundation; an organization that she built from the ground up and turned into a program with national presences in the Arts. She was a strong advocate for the arts both nationally and locally. Her love for art education granted many life changing opportunities to young people across the country.
She was very active in her church, First Presbyterian and traveled the world doing mission work. Joyce loved to sing and was a member of the church choir from August 1959 until August 2015.
Joyce met her husband Richard Robinson while still in high school. They married in 1955 and she gave birth to three children. Joyce is survived by her children: Gregory, Michael and Kathleen; six grandchildren: Joshua and Shawn Robinson and Benjamin, Aaron, Rachael and Naomi Bubeck. She is also survived by her sister, Sylvia Elton.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2015 at First Presbyterian Church, 219 East Bijou Street in Colorado Springs. In lieu of flowers, please give donations to the church Missions office.