Diane Robeson

Diane Jeannette Woodworth Robeson, of Columbia, MD., died on Sunday, June 17, 2012. She was 83. Diane was born in Syracuse, NY, in 1929 to Samuel and Cora Woodworth. Samuel was a pioneer in radio and founder of Syracuse's first radio station WFBL. Diane and her sister, Jean, developed a lifelong love for movies and musicals, attending the movies weekly and traveling frequently to Broadway, including the opening night for the original “South Pacific” in 1949.

Diane attended Syracuse University, graduating in 1951 with a B.S. in social work. She was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, and married William Graham Robeson, her Sigma Phi Epsilon sweetheart, in 1952.

Diane was a social worker until the birth of the first of her four children in 1955. In 1972 Diane and Bill bought Bowman’s Marina in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, where she co-managed the business with Bill. In Garrett County Diane also took on significant volunteer roles in the community. She was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church, the Garrett County Health Board and chaired the Accident, Maryland Health Board's successful search to bring a general practitioner to the rural mountain community.

In 1973 Diane earned her real estate agent's license, joining Deep Creek Realty full time in 1977, going on to win the Garrett County Distinguished Sales Associate award in 1985, becoming sales manager in 1986, and in 1990 was named Garrett County’s Realtor of the Year.

In 2000, Bill and Diane retired to Kent Island on Maryland’s Eastern shore. Following Bill's death in 2011, Diane moved to the Vantage House retirement community, in Columbia, Maryland. She greatly enjoyed her Vantage House friends.

Diane Robeson is survived by 4 children, Bruce Robeson of San Diego, CA; Lynn Robeson (Steve Hannan) of Columbia, MD; Lisa Robeson (James Walter) of Bluffton, OH; and Mark Robeson (Christi Gable) of Shaker Heights, OH; 3 grandchildren, Travis Robeson, of San Diego, CA; Ian Gallagher and Nicholas Gallagher of Columbia, MD; a niece, Sue Martin, of Syracuse, NY; and two nephews, Rick Martin of Charlotte, NC, and Mike Martin of Baldwinsville, NY.

Memorial Services will be held on July 14, 2012 at 2 P.M. at Vantage House Retirement Community at 5400 Vantage Point Road in Columbia, Maryland. Services will be preceded by a visitation at 1:00 P.M. Memorial contributions may be made to the Maryland Public Television, www.mpt.org. Arrangements entrusted to Witzke Funeral Homes, Inc.