Robin Sittig Wright Thomas

Robin Sittig Wright Thomas, born April 25,1937 in Chicago, Illinois, passed away surrounded by loving family on March 26, 2025 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Robin was on a much-anticipated trip with her two daughters at a lovely resort. Her heart was full and happy but several years of heart disease had taken its toll.
Throughout her 87 years, Robin touched the many hearts and lives of those who knew and loved her, never meeting a stranger. She grew up in Winnetka and Barrington, Ill; went to Barrington High School, graduating in 1955. She matriculated to the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she pledged Pi Beta Phi Sorority, and remained a proud "Pi Phi" the rest of her life. She graduated with a Home Economics degree in 1959.
Robin met her first husband; William Denis ("Denny") Wright, while at university and they wed in 1962. They started married life in Oakland, California where Robin worked at the University of California, Berkeley. Their first daughter, Cynthia Nancy (Cindy) was born there in 1963. They moved to Wilmette, Ill in 1964 where their second daughter, Virginia Robin (Ginny) was born in 1970.
In 2009, Robin married her high school sweetheart, Richard Thomas. They shared their lives between Cincinnati, Ohio and Northbrook, Ill. Robin had the opportunity to live with both Cindy and Ginny between 2020 and her death. Robin enjoyed her volunteer work on the Board of Directors of Shore Community Services, improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, and with her Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) International sisters in Winnetka and later in Kenosha chapters. PEO is an international charity that empowers women through education. Hadley School for the Blind in Winnetka was another place she had loved to volunteer, bringing Cindy along as a little girl to feel the different walls, and began Cindy's love of supporting the blind through her many years of raising leader dogs. Robin also continued her great enjoyment of at least four bridge games per week in Kenosha and in Illinois, never slowing down driving herself to all her games and lunch dates with beloved friends.
Robin had many passions and her career was one. She developed the menus for all of the Marshall Field's department store restaurants, including Chicago's iconic Walnut Room. She ran the food service for National Louis University in Evanston, and catered many friends' parties and weddings. Later, she was Assistant Director of Leisure and Learning at The North Shore Senior Center for 23 years. Robin was an active member, deacon and elder of the Winnetka Presbyterian Church for more than 40 years, always loving God and serving her neighbor.
Robin was a great athlete, loving golf, tennis, and curling to name a few. She inherited her abilities from her dad who ran in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, and passed her abilities and passions on to her daughters and grandchildren. She loved keeping up with all sporting events, especially those of her grandchildren. A devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she loved knitting projects, and was a faithful choir concert, soccer game, horse show, and musical attender. She was always game for ice cream; win, lose or draw.
Robin is survived by her daughter Cindy Hesselbein (Dave Hesselbein), and daughter Ginny Barta (Dr. Joe Barta). Known as their beloved "Winnie" to grandchildren Lynne (Coty), Kelly (Michael), Jeffrey, Daniel, Anna and Will. And to great-grandchildren, Jackson, Charlotte, and Ava.
Robin was preceded in death by her parents John F. and Lois W. Sittig, and sister Joanne Rankin.
A celebration of Robin's life will be held on what would have been her 88th birthday, April 25, at the Winnetka Presbyterian Church, 1255 Willow Road, Winnetka, lll at 11 a.m. with a lunch reception to follow.
May her memory bring comfort and peace to those who knew and loved her.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Robin's honor to Shore Community Services: https://shoreservices.org/donate/ or PEO International: https://www.peointernational.org/make-a-gift/#donate