Jacqueline Robison

1936 - 2025

Jacqueline Ann Robison, 88, passed away peacefully at home on August 13, 2025, in Edmonds, WA.

"Jackie" was born on December 1, 1936, in Denver, CO, and spent much of her childhood and early adult life thriving in San Francisco, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Rebecca Pauley; her spouses, David Knowles Hjelt and Fabor Allen Robison; and her six siblings, George, Robert, William, John, Florence, and Wayne. She was the last of her family to join Our Lord.

Jackie was a writer, artist, and, above all, a singer-her greatest passion. Her lifelong dream was to share her music with the world, a dream realized in 1976 when her album was released. In Edmonds, she sang in two choirs, Open Door Baptist Church and the Edmonds Senior Center Choir, giving back to her community by bringing joy to seniors in care homes.

Her love of words filled notebooks with fiction, prose, and song lyrics. She was recognized in New Mexico when she won the SouthWest Writers Contest for Best Short Story. Yet, her most enduring legacy lies in her art-her pastel portraits. When asked how many portraits she had completed in her lifetime, she estimated "around 40,000." Her career began at the Seattle World's Fair and soon took her across the country, including New York and New Orleans, before she settled under the banyan tree at Waikiki's International Market Place, creating thousands of portraits of people from around the world.

A restless spirit, Jackie, along with her devoted husband Fabor, traveled and lived in California, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and Hawaii-which always felt like home and drew them back again and again. Eventually, she returned to Washington State, completing the circle of her remarkable life.

She is survived by her children: David Knowles Jr., Fabor Allen Jr., Cynthia, and Thomas; their spouses Toni, Richard, and Roxanne; and by the children she considered her own, Gavin and Shiraz. She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren-Jacob, Sasha, Brittany, Allison, Caitlyn, and Fabor Allen III-as well as many great-grandchildren.

Jackie's love for people shone through in everything she did. She believed deeply that all people deserve happiness and the freedom to love who they love. For a woman born in 1936, she was ahead of her time. She raised strong, independent children while pursuing her own passions, teaching by example to be self-reliant, follow your dreams, and do what you love.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Dallas, TX, on the first weekend of November, where most of her family now resides.