JUDITH ANN ROBBINS

1937 - 2015

ROBBINS, Judith Ann (Hoffman) Of Attleboro. Judy was born in Los Angeles, California, to Ruth and Richard Hoffman on February 24, 1937. She was the first of three daughters (her sisters being Susan Ruth Hoffman Harris-Sharples and Hilary Janet Hoffman Penglase.) Judy graduated from Van High School in 1954, where she had been Editor of the Van Nuys High School Newspaper. She graduated Phi Betta Kappa from Stanford University in 1958, where she completed a double major in mathematics and literature. She then worked in publishing for the Harvard University Press and the University of California at Berkeley Press. After meeting and marrying Marcus Page Robbins of Attleboro, Massachusetts, Judy and Marcus settled in Attleboro and raised their family, a son, Andrew Page Robbins (born May 10, 1963) and a daughter, Janet Elizabeth Robbins Robinson (born August 15, 1965.) After settling in Attleboro, Judy joined the League of Women Voters, which was the beginning of her life in politics. As a result of her work with the LWV Judy was appointed in 1968 to serve on Attleboro's planning board. One of the LWV projects was the study of Attleboro's 1914 city charter. This led to Judy being appointed to head the charter commission, which rewrote the current city charter, approved in the early 1970's. In 1971 Judy was elected to the Attleboro City Council, being the first woman elected to that body and subsequently was elected to be the council's first woman president. Also, during this time, Judy also was appointed by then Governor Michael Dukakis to serve on the MBTA Board of Directors. During her tenure on the MBTA Board, Judy traveled with the board to Japan where they purchased new MBTA subway cars. Because of her interest and experiences in city government, Judy decided to enroll in the Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University, where in 1982 she earned a Master of Public Administration degree. In 1991 Judy was elected mayor of Attleboro, becoming the second woman mayor for the city. She served for twelve years, the second-most of any mayor in Attleboro. She was proud that she was able to bring fiscal stability to the city and that without a tax override she was able to oversee the building of Brennan and Wamsetta Middle Schools and the reconstruction of Willett, Studley and Thacher Elementary Schools. She also conceptualized and created the downtown Balfour Riverwalk, that replace the old L.G. Balfour factory, once the hub of the city. Although she suffered a stroke in 1996 while in office, Judy did not let this slow her down. The stroke resulted in her needing to walk with a cane, but not her ability to think and solve problems. After a six month recuperation period, Judy returned to office and was reelected to another term. A true citizen of Attleboro, Judy was a member and past president of the North Purchase Club. She supported and served on the boards of the Literary Center, the Attleboro Arts Museum and the Markman Daycare. Until she was incapacitated by her stroke Judy had been an active member of Second Congregational Church where she sang in the choir and served as church collector. Judy was also an avid world traveler. After stepping down from active politics, following her reelection loss to current mayor Kevin Dumas, in 2003, Judy had time to follow this avocation. She loved visiting London and Paris. She traveled on several Stanford University Alumni Travel trips, including touring Russia,, China, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. She cruised the fjords of Norway and the Aegean and Adriatic Seas, and the coast of Alaska. She took a safari in Tanzania. She made several of these trips with her daughter and her grandchildren. After leaving the mayor's office Judy used her public management skills serving a stint as acting town administrator in neighboring North Attleboro when the town had a vacancy. In 2007 Judy was asked by the mayor to head the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority, which had gone virtually bankrupt in the middle of two huge projects. Acting as a full-time economic development director and the board chair without pay, Judy used her well-honed skills to turn the authority's fortune around by restarting a project at the MBTA commuter rail station, which includes a bus depot, new roadways, and a large apartment building. Under Judy's leadership, the authority also sold an empty business park off Tiffany Street to an outfit interested in building a sports complex for the children and sports minded adults of Attleboro, thereby freeing the authority of a $2 million loan obligation. Attleboro is a community that Judy loved and served well. She was doing still this on the day she died, having just left the city offices where she had been working in the morning. A civic celebration of Mayor Judith Robbins life will be held by the City of Attleboro. Private family services have been held. In lieu of flowers, Judy's family requests that donations be made to the Markman Children's Programs (803 North Main St. Attleboro, MA 02703), the Attleboro Literacy Center, (80 North Main St., Attleboro, MA 02703), or the Attleboro Arts Museum (86 Park St., Attleboro, MA 02703). Arrangements have been made by Foley-Cook Funeral Home, 126 South Main Street, ATTLEBORO, MA. To access the memorial register go to

www.hathawayfunerals.com