Robinette Burns Wilkerson Hahn

Robinette Burns Wilkerson Hahn, known to family and friends as Bobbie, was born on January 1, 1926, in a small rural community just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The firstborn of Ruth Howard Burns and Hartsel Owen Burns, she was a well-loved, precocious child who loved adventure. Most of the children in her community were boys, and she spent many hours playing with them and her brother Owen outside- riding bikes and her beloved horse through the countryside, pole vaulting over streams, and hiking to nearby mountain peaks. She entered first grade at 5 yrs old and thrived in both elementary and at Tyner High School, eager to learn new things. This lifelong love of learning lasted to the very end of her life, just a few hours from her 99th birthday. Music was integral in her life- from singing solos in church at 5 yrs old, piano lessons and playing the trumpet in Tyner High Schools marching band. She learned to play every instrument in the band except for the base drum. After graduating high school at 16 yrs old, she attended TCW for a year before heading to the University of Michigan, where she majored in Music Education. Bobbies first husband, James H Wilkerson, grew up in the same small community. He followed her to Michigan after flight school during WWII. They married on June 26, 1948, and soon moved to Caldwell, New Jersey, where their first-born Rick was born. Bobbie taught second grade there- loving all her students and enjoyed talking about their gifts and personalities. Bobbie missed being close to her family in TN, so they moved and eventually built their first home in Smyrna, Georgia where her husband Jim accepted a position at Lockheed Georgia and Bobbie was very active in the local community. She taught piano, joined the Garden Club and volunteered at Belmont Hills Elementary. During these years their second son, Jim, and their daughter Robin were born. As their family grew, they moved to the Buckhead area of Atlanta in 1964 to be closer to their Trinity church community and for educational opportunities for their children. Music and Early Education was always a primary vocation for Bobbie. She sang in choirs and choruses her whole adult life- a vital part of church choirs everywhere she lived and had the honor of singing with Robert Shaw and Norman Mackenzie in Atlanta. She also led childrens choirs and always incorporated music in her teaching. She went back to school and earned her MEd degree from Georgia State University, to enhance her teaching career in early education. She taught for over 30 years until she and Jim retired and moved to Chapel Hill in 1986. Supporting her Christian beliefs through service to others led her to frequently volunteer for the church, was an ordained elder at Trinity, and continued her service at University Presbyterian in Chapel Hill as leader in the Women of the Church, volunteering in the church office, at VBS, and anywhere else she felt needed. She was also a member of and leader in PEO: chapter G in Georgia and Chapter L in Chapel Hill. In her spare time, Bobbie loved crafts and hand working- knitting, smocking, and quilting were her favorites. She strengthened her love of nature at Lake Allatoona AYC- camping, sailing, and swimming with her family. She also loved traveling to National Parks across the US to experience the beauty of the natural world. She and Jim volunteered many hours at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill and traveled extensively until his death in 1996. She moved into independent living at Carolina Meadows very soon afterwards. At Carolina Meadows her volunteering expanded: leading a birding group, a quilting group, and helping with 2nd Sunday church, marketing and the gift shop. She married an old friend from Michigan, Maury Hahn, on October 19, 2001, spending half of the year at Carolina Meadows and the other half in Niles, MI. He and Bobbie went on many travel adventures before his passing in 2016 at CM. Bobbie was well known and loved at CM by residents and members of the staff.A memorial service will be held on Saturday Feb 1, 2025, at 2 pm at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, NC. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:NC Botanical Garden: https://ncbg.unc.edu/University Presbyterian Church: https://upcch.org/
Memorial Service
Saturday, February 1, 2025
2:00 PM -
University Presbyterian Church
209 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill NC 27514
US
Funeral HomeCremation Society of the Carolinas
2205 East Millbrook Road
Raleigh NC - 27604
US
(919) 571-3300
(919) 877-0207
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