Colleen Geagan Robbins

COLLEEN GEAGAN ROBBINS

ORONO - Colleen Geagan Robbins, 75, passed away peacefully on November 7, 2020 at a Bangor hospital. She died of a previously unknown heart condition with her immediate family at her side. She was born in Bangor, November 4, 1945, the eldest daughter of John E. and Patricia (Taber) Geagan.

Colleen graduated from Bangor High School in 1963. She attended Husson College and the University of Maine but left to pursue a career and family. Colleen had a remarkable spirit (and maybe a little Irish stubbornness) and spent her teen years trying to prove that anything the boys can do she can do better. One experience she was particularly proud of was a 50 mile hike in the winter of 1963 with some friends after President Kennedy issued a challenge to the youth of America. She grew up spending summers in Bayside, Maine and loved being on Penobscot Bay - sailing, waterskiing, swimming and visiting with lifelong friends.

A fun-loving and wonderful mother, Colleen and John raised their family in Orono, Maine. The house was often full of friends, family and laughter. She was a bonus mom to many young people in the AFS program, acting as a host and liaison mother, and also Chapter president of the local AFS club, an international exchange student program.

In her career, Colleen worked her way up the ladder in the retail world, ultimately becoming an assistant manager at Porteous. She made many long lasting friendships throughout her professional life, and ended her career proudly as a blood donor recruiter at The American Red Cross. Colleen was also a member of Zonta Club of Bangor, part of an international service organization promoting gender equality and expanding women’s opportunities worldwide.

Colleen loved to travel, and some of her most memorable adventures brought her to England, Ireland, Venezuela, India, Canada and Mexico. A round trip drive across the country to California with her girls in 1980 was especially remarkable and contributed to the wanderlust her children feel today. Colleen was always game for an impromptu adventure and once “kidnapped” the family for a Sunday drive; after John fell asleep in the car and woke up in Quebec City, he was quite surprised!

Being an active grandmother was a joy for Colleen and she attended many sporting events, music concerts, drama performances, and birthday parties as her grandchildren grew up. She was always there to lend a hand with rides to appointments or games when needed. Colleen also enjoyed singing, gardening, playing cards and was active in bridge clubs in Maine and Florida.

After retirement, Colleen and John spent winters in Holiday Park, North Port, Florida escaping the cold Maine winters, where she enjoyed walking to the pool, playing bridge, great friends and shell and shark teeth hunting in the warm gulf waters at the local beaches.

Colleen is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, John H. Robbins; daughters, Melissa Jagger and her husband, Eric, of Islesboro, Beth Robbins Mitchell of Orland; AFS daughter, Carmen Garcia of Newark, NJ; grandchildren, Sophie, Joey, Charles, Samuel and Owen; her siblings, Jack Geagan and his wife, Joanne, of Montville, Frank Geagan and his wife, Rebecca, of Pittsfield, and Kim Hodge and her husband Jeff of Etna; nephews, Jake, Jesse, and Justin; niece, Jen, their spouses and children, as well as her sisters-in-law Sally and Susan and their husbands and many special cousins and friends held a significant place in Colleen’s heart.

A private service will be held, by invitation only, November 27, 2020, at Brookings-Smith, Bangor. A livestream of the service will begin at 11:00am for those wishing to attend the service remotely and may do so by visiting BrookingsSmith.com. The family was so appreciative of the incredible care Colleen received during her brief hospital stay; gifts in her honor may be made to Northern Light, EMMC, Scholarships for Nursing Education, P.O. Box 931, Bangor, ME 04401.