Obituary

In loving memory ofDr Joyce Robinson

Dr Joyce Robinson died May 12,2013,
at the University of the West Indies Hospital,Kingston Jamaica.Anthony her son remarked;

"She was someone who placed the concern of others above herself. She spared very little thought for herself," Mr Robinson said.
He said that one of the things that amazed him most about his mother was that she accomplished so much at the national level while doing so much in her private life.
"She spent most of her waking hours in pursuit of her public duties, but all of us in her private life never felt neglected. As children we grew up with a lot of love, despite the fact that she was so busy," he said.
Dr Robinson was the first Jamaican to head the Jamaica Library Service and gained much kudos for leading the national literacy campaign in the 1970s, which resulted in approximately 200,000 Jamaicans learning to read and write.
Her stewardship of that programme and its results earned her an international literacy prize from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Dr Joyce Robinson was appointed to run the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporatio (JBC) as general manager in the early 1980s byFormer Prime Minister Edward Seaga,her stay at JBC was short-lived because he wanted her to run the HEART Trust, which he conceptualised.

Dr Robinson was presented with the Lifetime Award, while Seaga received the HEART Trust/NTA Legacy Award.
Robinson held two honorary Doctor of Law degrees -- from the University of the West Indies and Dalhousie University in Canada. She was a Member of the British Empire and, in 1979, was awarded the Order of Jamaica for outstanding public service.
Robinson did voluntary work at the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Trench Town, after which she taught at Black River High School in St Elizabeth.
She next joined the library service at its headquarters in Kingston, climbing through the ranks to become director in 1957.
In addition to her son, Dr Robinson is survived by her daughter, Dr Ann Bridgewater, six grandchildren and other relatives.

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