Juanita M. Dalton-Robinson

06/12/1926 - 07/06/2025

Lineage. Legacy.
Faith. Family. Sacrifice. Service. Perseverance. Academia. First to do that not done before. Scholarship. Achievement. Excellence. Integrity. Dignity. Patience. Kindness. Joy.
Juanita Dalton-Robinson embodied, personified and in fact, lived and breathed all these words.
Born Juanita Marie Dawkins to two faith-fueled parents, Anderson and Marie Dawkins, on June 12, 1926. Juanita was the second of three children, older brother Maurice and younger sister Carol Joy.
Lineage. Juanita's family line dates back to the mid-19th century, when her great-great- grandfather, Komongwa Ruswa, left mortal danger within the Royal Warrior Caste of the Zulu Nation, also known as the Royal Fighting Household, and emigrated to Germany, and ultimately Denver Colorado U.S.A. There he married and raised six children, of which one bore Juanita's mother. The first of many firsts.
Legacy. In addition to the above-mentioned words, quietly independent and overtly diplomatic, Juanita was an amazing mother, devoted wife, great friend, effective confidant, mentor and teacher, literally from childhood.
Juanita excelled in the NYC public school system, including Hunter College City University of New York, with a natural emphasis on making friends and service to others.
This focus and achievement expanded and grew during her matriculation at Smith College School for Social Work, graduating in 1951 as the first black woman with a Masters is Social Service (MSS). For the remainder of her life Smith College was an integral focus of her attention, energy and effort, from individual students through policy and institutional vision, as well as an active local alumnus.
After her graduation, she met and married Charles Allen Dalton, another social worker, and moved to Cleveland Ohio in 1956 where she raised two boys, Charles Samuel Dalton and Stephen Michael Dalton, while contributing to the advancement of multiple efforts uplift, directly and indirectly, those in need in Northeast Ohio. These included the desegregation of Cleveland Public Schools, co-founding the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers, the 1979-1980 cohort Leadership Cleveland - a multi-racial and gender effort to bridge the gap between leaders in Cleveland. Her accomplishments extended into scholarship as an associate professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Applied Social Sciences in the 1970s and 1980s. One of her most profound accomplishments was her work with severely autistic children, at the H.E.L.P. foundation.
Juanita's leadership roles in Cleveland non-profits included assistant executive director at the Center for Human Services and Executive Director at the YWCA in the 1980s.
Juanita's second act was robust and full of life. After retiring from full-time employment and divorcing Charles Allen Dalton, Juanita continued her life of service and started a new life with William (Bill) Robinson, whom she married in 1984. She welcomed his two daughters from his previous marriage, Miriam and Rachel, into her life as her own. Bill and Juanita enjoyed a long and fulfilling life devoted to each other, their church, traveling and enjoying all their children and grandchildren, Merrick and Merrin (children of Miriam and Martin Osborne) and Ulfur (Charles Dalton and Anna Ragnisdottir).
Juanita also became involved and rose to leadership positions within the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc and The Links Western Reserve Chapter, serving the lives of black women aspiring for and achieving the same success she enjoyed and more. Her efforts on behalf of women extended to her alma mater, Smith College, where she also was both extremely active at the college as well as an active local alum. She also served on multiple boards of organizations in the fields of education, child development and welfare, and racial justice.
Juanita also lent her attention and energy to her church, Mt. Zion Congregational Church, first as a parishioner, and ultimately rising to leadership roles on several committees and a counselor for church leaders and other parishioners.

Juanita Dalton-Robinson has been awarded multiple times over the course of her life. Most notable were as a Golden Soror by the AKA sorority, a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Social Worker, induction into the Hunter College Hall Of Fame, the naming of an academic hall at Smith College for the academic term of 2024- 2025, the naming of a scholarship in her name at the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners for her service to the Cleveland community in education, social work and civic engagement.
Juanita is survived by:
Children: Charles, Stephen, Miriam and Rachel
Siblings: Carol Joy George
Grandchildren: Merrick and Merrin Osborne
Nieces: Carina and Richelle George, Joyce Thornton, Susan Dawkins, Janice Shoals
Nephew: Kimball Dawkins
Cousins: Multiple
Close friends: Wanda and Roy Whitmore, Delores Hargrove, Vicky Winbush, Sharon Holt, Sharon Miligan, Mollie Brudnik, The Petite Family, Regina Dalton
Predeceased by:
Husbands: William Robinson (2016), Charles Allen Dalton (Divorced 1980, deceased 2003)
Sibling: Maurice Dawkins (2002)
Grandsons: Ulfur Chaka Karlsson (2007), Ian Andracchio (2011)

Juanita was deeply loved, cherished, and impactful throughout her life, and will be deeply missed.