On Monday morning, August 6, 2018, our beloved mother, Sonia Robinson, 88, passed peacefully on her journey to be with her husband and Her Holy Father. She was funny, compassionate, and principled, and we will forever miss her.

Sonia Prokopchuk Robinson was born April 25, 1930 to Joseph and Mary Prokopchuk in New York City. Her parents arrived in the United States separately: her mother arrived by boat to Ellis Island, and her father slipped over the Canadian border. They both understood that to be a citizen of this country, one must work hard and be grateful, something that is still passed down through their descendants. Joseph died of pneumonia when Sonia was two years old; the family couldn’t afford to call for the doctor, leaving Mary to raise seven children on her own. She often worked three jobs to be able to feed them. She put Sonia through school, and at the age of 16, Sonia graduated high school.

Sonia attended Oswego State Teachers’ College, where she met her future husband, Lloyd. She graduated with her Bachelors in Education, as he did, and they were married shortly afterward. Packing everything on their backs, Sonia and Lloyd hopped onto his motorcycle and headed to Virginia to start a new chapter in their lives. Roaring across the twin bridges into Front Royal on the bike, neither could know that this little town would become the center of their world.

Sonia taught in the Warren County Public School System for 30+ years. Her love of teaching centered on Special Education, helping young students with disabilities thrive. She spent summers taking classes at UVA to get her Master’s, and no one could be prouder of her when she graduated.

Sonia loved her church, the Front Royal United Methodist Church, and she was active throughout most of her life. She was a member of the Retired Teachers Association, which she enjoyed, and she ate lunch with her “Lunch Bunch” every week. Many thanks to them for helping her remain part of that group after she was no longer able to drive.

As the last remaining member of her family, Sonia leaves behind her children: Ginny (Jeff Leser), Barbara Robinson (Steve McMahan), Mark (Dorinda) Robinson, as well as her much-loved grandchildren: Hannah (Eric Delgadillo), Rebecca (Danny Ziemer), Jeremy Robinson, Andrew (Celine Leser), Emily McMahan, and Katie Robinson. Sonia has 4 great-grandchildren and one on the way: Graham, Ava, and Emma Ziemer, and Sophia (and soon, Gabriel!) Delgadillo.

Services for Sonia will be held at the Front Royal United Methodist Church, 1 West Main Street, Front Royal, on Friday, August 10th at 11:00 AM. A luncheon in her honor will be held afterwards in the church’s Fellowship Hall. All are invited to attend.