Roberta Grabo

Roberta Marie Marcotte Grabo

1932 - 2020

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Obituary of Roberta Marie Marcotte Grabo

Roberta Marie Marcotte Grabo

September 5, 1932 – April 3, 2020

 

Roberta (Robbie) Marie Marcotte Grabo, age 87, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away Friday evening, April 3, 2020, at her residence.

 

Robbie was born September 5, 1932, in New York City, New York, a daughter of Leonie Marcotte. She grew up in the Northeast, mostly New York and New Hampshire. She was living in New Hampshire when she met and married Lawrence Ffrench Grabo on August 2, 1952. Because he was in the US Navy, they moved around in that area. She was a wonderfully devoted mother to four sons: Burton, Roger, Edwin and Joseph. As a family they moved to the Virgin Islands because of a family tie to the Grand Marshall.

 

Robbie met challenges head on. She survived the loss of her baby boy Edwin right after he was born. She also had the challenge of raising three rambunctious boys on her own when they were young. Whatever one of the boys didn’t think of, the other boys did. Stories were told about them burning down forests, chasing chickens and cats, or putting dish soap in her coffee. Sometimes her best defense was probably ignoring them and letting them be boys. It was during this time that she taught her boys about hard work. She also taught them to never give up on family as she worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. She worked as a key punch operator for General Electric, a waitress at Holiday Inn, and an accountant/administrator at Sutter General Hospital. Throughout her life she was always willing to reinvent herself and make the best of every situation she encountered.

 

Robbie loved to cook desserts but could never make fudge that would set up, so she would just call it “spoon fudge”. She really enjoyed crafts, especially knitting and crocheting. She was a perfectionist when it came to her knitting and crocheting and would sometimes undo an entire project to correct a mistake she found in the middle. She was so giving with her talent and would make things for others for just the cost of materials. She was willing to give anything she had to anyone in need, even if she didn’t have much herself.

 

One of her favorite things was collecting any type of frog knick-knack. She also enjoyed reading and watching westerns, and she had a love for hot peppers, which she would eat until she was sweating.

 

Family was very important to Robbie, and this was probably a result of the family dinners she was part of each Sunday. That love carried through as she would quietly sit and listen to her granddaughters’ endless stories. 

 

Robbie was preceded in death by her mom, Leonie Marcotte; her sister, Jeannette Marcotte; her brothers Paul Joseph Marcotte and Robert Marcotte; her grandparents, Eugenie Routhier and Leon Marcotte; and her third son, Edwin Lawrence Grabo.

 

Robbie is survived by three sons and two daughters-in-law, Burton Grabo (Connie) of Boerne, Texas; Roger Grabo (Lou Anne) of Saint Simons Island, Georgia; and Joseph Grabo of Tucson, Arizona. She was a loving grandma to five granddaughters and their spouses, Kristy Grabo (Kirsti), Jenny Grabo, Shelley Hanson, Sandy Scott (Quinten) and Michele Schwartz (Will); and nine great grandchildren. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her.

 

Special thanks to the wonderful home caregivers and hospice staff who provided invaluable care to her for many years. She inspired many with her positive, cheerful outlook and delightful sense of humor.

 

A small, private family memorial service will be held to remember and celebrate Robbie’s life.

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We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at Angel Valley Funeral Home