Janice Marie Robinson

Janice Marie Robinson was born in Oakland, CA on April 11, 1945 to the late James Homer Black and Hazel Mable Southall.  Janice grew up and was baptized at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in Oakland, CA.  She sang in the choir and was active in the Methodist Youth Ministries.

She received her formal education through the Berkeley Unified School District and graduated in 1962 from Berkeley High School.  She continued her education by attending Howard University, where she majored in music and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1966. 

Janice began her professional career with Blue Shield as an operations trainer, where she later relocated to San Diego in 1969.  In 1970, she began working for Electronic Data Systems Corporation where she retired after 30 years of service.  Never one to be an idle retiree, she then embarked upon a new career as a real estate consultant for Keller Williams Realty.

While at Howard University, Janice was initiated into Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., in 1964.  She demonstrated her love and commitment for Delta by becoming a Golden Life member.  She was active in the San Diego Alumnae chapter where she served in many capacities including chapter president.  She was a founding board member of the San Diego Delta Foundation.  She also was a member of the national Delta choir that sang at each national convention. 

Janice married the love of her life Raymond T. Robinson in 1990.  They were both active members of St. Paul United Methodist Church serving in many capacities.  They were also members of Toastmasters International.  Janice used her speaking skills that she honed with Toastmasters to serve many years as Mistress of Ceremonies for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade and the San Diego Mother Goose Parade.  Janice became a member the Silhouettes, an international organization composed of wives of members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.  She was a leader of the Western Province of Silhouettes for many years.  Janice joined the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Board of Advisors in 2002 shortly after her husband Raymond transitioned in 2001.  With commitment and dedication, Janice was a captain in the YMCA Strong Kids Annual Support Campaign that raised over $4.5M from 2002 through 2019.  Janice remained committed to Ray’s vision of establishing a state of the art Aquatic Center at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA where the Aquatic Director’s Office was named in their honor in perpetuity through their personal philanthropy.  Her final personal campaign was establishing an Aquatic Center Endowment Fund at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA in honor of her beloved Raymond Robinson.

As a daughter, a wife, niece, cousin, a friend, and a colleague, Janice brought love, compassion, and joy to everyone she touched. The number of lives touched by Janice through her service to the community is infinite.

Janice was preceded in death by her husband Raymond T. Robinson, mother Hazel (Southall) Trent, father James H. Black, two stepsons Raymond Terry Robinson and Brian Wayne Robinson, and her maternal grandparents Charles Southall and Stella Bergeron Southall.

Janice Marie Robinson leaves to cherish her memory and legacy, her cousins Mary Bridgette, Danette Brown, Kenneth Brown (Janelle), Jacqueline Jackson, Donald Smith, II (Marisa), John Wesley Southall, Russell W. Southall, Sr. (Valda) their families and a host of relatives and friends who will always hold her close in their hearts.

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