Kristina Bosworth Robbs

Kristina Bosworth Robbs died March 11, 2017 on Mercer Island, WA after a long battle with a rare form of adrenal cortical cancer. Kris was “one in a million,” beloved for her energy, generosity, compassion, and humor. The 67-year-old grandmother, premier realtor, world traveler, philanthropist, and friend to all she met, was born in Chicago, IL on February 21, 1950 to Robert and Janet Bosworth. She initially grew up in Milwaukee, WI, then moved to Buffalo, NY, where she took ballet and ice skated on the frozen swimming pool in her backyard. She moved to Atlanta, GA as a young teenager, graduating from North Springs HS in Sandy Springs, GA, where she was a majorette.

She attended the University of South Carolina and is a graduate of the Atlanta College of Medical and Dental Assistants. She worked as a Medical Assistant for the team doctors for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves. She met her future husband, Charles Thurber Robbs, on a blind date playing bridge at Sope Creek in Marietta, GA. They subsequently married in 1971 in Atlanta, honeymooning in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and a year later in Mexico City and Acapulco, Mexico. They began military family life at the U.S. Army Engineer School at Ft Belvoir, VA, and then were stationed in Hanau and Wildflecken, West Germany. Taking advantage of the four-year European military assignment, Kris and Charlie camped throughout Germany as well as the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, England, Scotland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey and France, and skied in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Both children, Jennie and Chad, were born in Germany, participating in many of the travels as babies. Kris also loved to ride horses, taking equestrian lessons at the local ring and buying her own Trakehner mare with all the family savings while Charlie was away on field duty. After moving back to the United States to Fort Belvoir, VA, Fort Benning, GA, and Atlanta, GA, they settled on Mercer Island, WA in 1980.

Kris combined a successful real estate career with raising her two children. She mentored countless former clients to became successful realtors themselves. She was active over the years and in a variety of capacities with PEO, Sunset Club, Forum XXII, VFW, Swedish Foundation, Seattle Yacht Club and Opera Guild among many others, typically holding multiple leadership positions. She believed in supporting the community and the arts including the Mercer Island Preschool Association, Pilchuck Glass Auction, Circus McGurkus, Adopt a Family, MI Youth & Family Services, Avon 3-day Breast Cancer walks, Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation, VFW Keeywaydin Historic Preservation Project and many others. She was a longtime Mariners season ticket holder, avid Seahawk fan, and Seattle Opera and Symphony goer. Many winter weekends over the years were spent skiing at Crystal Mountain where her children grew into remarkable skiers. She was also on the Silver Skis Board.

Kris organized “the walking girls,” a small group that walked early every weekday morning for over thirty years. The first few years the walk was in the south end, and finished at the Mercer Island QFC. Later it moved to the north end and finished at Tully’s for coffee and spirited discussion that solved all the world’s problems. Their book, still to be written, is aptly named “It Never Rains at Six AM.”

Kris also decided several years ago to take up rowing. Always a smiling and happy early riser, she had no problem getting up at four-thirty am to spend several mornings a week on Lake

Sammamish or Lake Washington in a 2, 4 or 8-man shell. Afterwards it was back to Mercer Island to join “the walking girls.”

As a boater, she loved spending time on Lake Washington, in the San Juan Islands and in Desolation Sound. Four am was not too early to get on Lake Washington to fish the salmon run. She always caught both the first and the biggest fish, whether it was a 30-pound King Salmon in Sullivan Bay, British Columbia, or a 9-pound Tigerfish out of the Zambezi River in Africa.

Kris and Charlie determined early on that they weren’t going to wait for retirement to travel and made sure they planned at least one significant vacation each year. Destinations over the years included most of the U.S. National Parks, and multiple trips back to Hawaii, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, England, Scotland and Ireland among others. Among her favorite places to visit included Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Botswana. She traveled with members of the G-6 to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos, Russia, China and Tibet, Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand.

Kris loved people which often meant parties. Year after year, she hosted get togethers to watch the Superbowl, celebrate Charlie’s birthday on the Fourth of July, and watch the Blue Angels during Seafair. St Patrick’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas also afforded entertainment opportunities, and her home was always warm, inviting and dressed to the nines – she was the consummate host.

Kris loved to dance, listen to music (Beethoven’s 9th, Handel’s Messiah, Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, Pavarotti, The Three Tenors) and going to concerts (John Denver, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, the Eagles, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, the Beach Boys). Her last concert was to see Paul McCartney for the second time, in her wheelchair at Key Arena.

She is survived by her husband Charlie; daughter Jennie Banks (Zac); son Chad (Kim); mother Janet Bosworth; brothers Bill (Marty) and Bob Bosworth (Jill); brother-in-law Philip Robbs (Claudia), sister-in-law Kathy Robbs; beloved grandchildren Colin (4) and Lucy Banks (21 months); and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her father.

Kris was so much larger than life, always ready for the next adventure, always with a smile on her face and making people laugh. She touched many lives and will be greatly missed by every one of them.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on April 22, 2017 at the Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040 and at 11:00 am on May 20,2017 at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 731 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308.

Memorials suggested to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.