Rita A. (Voissem) Robinson

Rita Robinson, age 92, passed away peacefully Saturday August 15 at home, with family at her side following a short illness. Rita was born November 19, 1933 in Menasha to Anton and Otillia (Jacobs) Voissem, the middle child of seven. After graduating from St. Mary High School in 1951 she was employed at Gilbert Paper Company where she met the love of her life, Wayne. They married September 7th, 1953 while Wayne was on leave from the Army. Following a short honeymoon in Wisconsin Dells, Wayne shipped off to Korea for 18 months. After being discharged from the army they were able to start their married life together and moved to a small house on Manitowoc Street and started their family. After their 4th child they purchased a house on First Street from her mother where they had their 5th child. They lived there for over 50 years and then moved to an apartment in Appleton.

Rita and Wayne were married for 67 years before Wayne’s death in 2020. When the children were young, Wayne told Rita that he wanted to go camping. Rita asked “What’s camping?” That was the start of many road trips and adventures across the country. Later in life, for several winters they would spend a few months in Arizona and made many friends and enjoyed staying with Wayne’s sister Shirley. Rita also made many road trips with her daughter Kathy and Granddaughter Robin to visit her brother Robert Voissem in North Carolina.

Rita enjoyed crocheting, gardening, reading, puzzles and baking Wayne’s favorite desserts. She grew up in a family where music was an integral part of their life. Many family get-togethers would include someone playing a guitar, banjo, bass or hammered dulcimer while everyone sang along. She had a deep Christian faith and it sustained her through many trials and tribulations that came along the way.

Family was very important to her and loved to have visits with them. Rita had 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren and enjoyed having them visit. She was preceded in death by her husband Wayne, her son Jeff Robinson, her parents Anton and Otillia Voissem, and brothers Robert, Dennis and Francis Voissem. Rita is survived by her brother Tom Voissem, sisters Betty Voissem (Sister Anton Marie Voissem) and Toni Marciniak, and sisters-in-law Marlene Voissem and Joyce Tschirgi. She is further survived by her children Gary (Debora), Greg (Julie), Kathy Robinson, Chris (Joan) Robinson and daughter-in-law Susan Robinson.

Rita was able to stay at home with the help of Compassus Hospice, her daughter and caretaker Kathy and special family friend Mary Taylor, who helped with her care and anything that needed doing.

The funeral service for Rita will be held on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Valley Funeral Home, 2211 N. Richmond St., Appleton.  A time of visitation will be held on Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.  The funeral service for Rita will be livestreamed: https://evt.live/rita-robinson-funeral-service.  For online condolences and a full obituary please visit www.valleyfh.com. 

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