Kathleen Ellen Cover Degraff Robbins

Kathleen Ellen Cover DeGraff Robbins

Born:  October 1, 1950

Died:  June 11, 2015

After spending her early years in Ohio, and graduating from High School in Prescott, Arizona, she trained as an X Ray technician and worked at hospitals in several places including Florida, Mississippi, Bermuda and Maryland. She later trained in Wisconcin as a CT technician. Consequently, she became the only person known, to have ever worked both positions as X- Ray technician and CT technician simultaneously, on the same shift, but only receiving pay for one of those technicians, not both. Her career spanned over thirty years until the point that she just was too physically drained to work anymore. She had more physical ailments than anyone person ought to have, but fought a good fight to overcome her medical fallacies, until the end. Her husband said, “She had been frequently hospitalized throughout the 22 years that I had known her.”

She suffered a massive stroke almost five years ago, paralyzing her left side. Her left leg did not work. She was unable to move her left arm. And, her left eye was closed. After much therapy, she regained all functions except for her left arm. She also regained the ability to walk short distances, and was able to get around using her electric mobility scooter. She was born left handed, so fortunately in those days, they encouraged writing with the right hand. Consequently, after the stroke, she was still able to write, without having to re-learn with her other hand.

Besides being a highly skilled medical technician, she was a professional seamstress and a gourmet cook. She made all of the dresses for the ladies in our wedding party, as well as her own wedding gown. And, she even made some upgrade modifications to her husband’s suit, to make it into a color coordinated tuxedo. They would have been married 20 years this December.

She is survived by her husband Stuart B. Robbins, her mother Viola Cover and a twin sister Kay Cover. She also leaves three children by her first marriage: Deborah (Keith), Stephen (Patty) and Jennifer (Jason). And, they blessed her with nine grandchildren: Koby, Mason and Victoria; Austin, Erin and Sydney; Connor, McKenzie and Meadow.

She requested that her body be cremated. There will be no viewing. A memorial service will be held Thursday, July 9, 2015 at 10:00 AM (with a time of visiting with the family for 30 minutes prior to and after the service) at the First United Methodist Church at 424 Main St. Laurel, Md. 20707

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations may be made to Jill’s House at McLean Bible Church, (9011 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182) or to the Brooks Bird Club, Inc. (P.O. Box 4077, Wheeling, WV 26003).