Mary Rohner

Obituary Mary Lyall Robinson Rohner Mary Lyall Robinson Rohner died at the age of 87 on Monday, August 8, 2011 in Tacoma, Washington. She was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the daughter of Samuel Douglas and Muriel Stuart Robertson Robinson. When Mary was four years old the family moved from Ottawa to East Chicago, Indiana. The widow of William Leonardo Rohner, M.D., Mary is survived by her children: Patty Collins (Hobie) of Louisville, Kentucky; Suzanne Brooks (Stephen) of Anacortes, Washington and Doug Rohner of Tacoma. Mary also leaves her sister, Joan S. Schlutter of Phoenix. Mary remembered her East Chicago childhood and the family pets that graced her life with great affection. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in East Chicago and for two years attended St. Mary's College of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. She graduated from St. Catherine School of Nursing in East Chicago in 1947 and was a Registered Nurse at University Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. In Iowa City Mary met her husband Bill and they were married in 1948. In the early years of building a family and a life together Mary and Bill made stops along the way in Longview, Washington, Tacoma and Iowa City, Iowa. In 1960 they returned to Tacoma, for good, with their three children. Mary was a knowledgeable and accomplished gardener with a thumb as green as her beloved Pacific Northwest. With a combination of color and a keen eye for beauty, her gardens reflected both imagination and much hard work. Possessing a wry sense of humor and a bottomless cookie jar, Mary created memorable needlepoint and was quite thrilled with two holes in one in her 70s. With close and patient attention, she followed the Mariners and the Seahawks. Forever a child of the heartland, until the end Mary rooted for the Chicago Cubs and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Mary and Bill were devoted to their children and their families as well as a wide circle of friends. Leaving behind cherished memories of family time and much laughter in Iowa City, Tacoma, on the Pacific Coast and in the Sonoran desert, Mary will be lovingly remembered as a kind and generous person and for a good life well-lived. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pierce County Humane Society (www.thehumanesociety.org) or St. Frances Cabrini School (www.cabrinischool.org). Please leave online condolences at www.gaffneycares.com. Arrangements by Gaffney Funeral Home, 253-572-6003.