October 23, 1954 – February 20, 2012
Robin, who passed peacefully at Shorncliffe Hospice after a courageous year-long journey with cancer, was a beloved figure on the Coast. A passionate advocate for sustainability, her legacy includes the One Straw Society, the School for Sustainable Living Arts, the Sunshine Coast Seed Collective, a farmers market that later grew to become the Sechelt Farmers and Artisans Market and the Farm Gate Market. She was an excellent teacher and mentor of adults and children, training many people in sustainable agriculture, herbal arts and homesteading skills. An engaging speaker, she spoke widely on sustainability issues. Her books, Gardening for the Faint of Heart and Food Security for the Faint of Heart, continue to inspire readers. Robin’s sense of humour and generosity of spirit will long be remembered, and the seeds of creativity and the ideas she so loved to plant have taken root and will continue to grow and thrive in her community. Her philosophy was stated on the bumper sticker of her old truck: Be Subversive. Buy Local Food.
Her family thanks Robin’s wonderful caregivers at VGH Palliative Care Unit and Shorncliffe Hospice, and the many friends who supported her during her journey with visits, healings, food, flowers, music, prayers, meditation – a tidal wave of love and a cloak of comfort that sustained her and touched her deeply.
She will be missed by her parents Peggy and Ken Wheeler, sisters Cat Wheeler and Beth Mowat, brother-in-law Tim Mowat, nephews Tristan (Camilla), Trevor (Amy) and Jordan Mowat and her huge community of friends.
A memorial service will be held in at Boal Memorial Chapel in North Vancouver on Monday, February 27, at 2pm. A celebration of Robin's life will be held at the Roberts Creek Hall on Sunday, March 4, from 3pm to 6pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Shorncliffe Hospice would be welcome.