Robyn M. Oldham

After a long illness, Robyn Moncrief Oldham died in Davidson, North Carolina on Monday, May 26, 2014. Born in Houston, Texas, on November 30, 1921, she was the daughter of Jack Basil and Marguerite May Moncrief and a proud graduate of Rice University. She worked until retirement at Davidson College in the Office of Admission. Mrs. Oldham moved to Davidson from Houston in 1978, several years after the death of her beloved husband, Harold Kenneth Oldham. There, she joined her two daughters, Harriet and Marguerite, and their husbands and families, and began a new, happy phase of her life, becoming a spirited member of the community. She loved life in her small town and was an active member of the Davidson College Presbyterian Church and its choir, an organist and pianist for the church, a competitive bridge player, a voracious reader, joining several book clubs, a loyal friend to many, and the lead snare drummer of the Davidson Town Marching Band. She loved traveling. She especially loved Hawaii and her family's native Scotland, along with France and Italy and anywhere else that served good ice cream. However, the center of her life was her family. She was the consummate mother, mother-in-law, aunt, grandmother, and finally was a great grandmother to Abram Kessler and Robyn Walters. Her legendary family birthday dinners were occasions of great merriment and feasting. For her family, she was the perfect example of optimism, with the ability to bloom where she was planted. She managed to find the bright side in everything and gave her family a rock-solid foundation of loyalty and love that will never fade . Mrs. Oldham is survived by daughters: Harriet Kessler and her husband Steven Kessler, and Marguerite Williams and her husband W.T. Williams, Jr; by her grandchildren and their spouses, partners and children: Kristi Kessler Walters and Jerry Walters and their daughter Robyn of Charlotte; Michael Kessler and Rosie Molinary and their son, Abram of Davidson; Ben Williams and Sun K. Park of Santa Monica, California; and Daniel Williams and Brittany Cotter of Charlotte. She was also blessed with a special sister-in-law, Cornelia Cobb Oldham, of Houston, and nieces, nephews, and cousins abounded in her affection. The family wishes to express its deep gratitude to The Pines at Davidson, where Mrs. Oldham lived the last 14 years of her life in safety, care, and security. The nurses and staff of Assisted Living, Health Care, and the Purcell Unit were extraordinary caregivers, and all the staff was devoted to its central mission of bringing happiness and health into the lives of its residents. The family is grateful to the wonderful staff of Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte Region who provided loving care to Mrs. Oldham in her final days. They offered a depth of understanding, experience, and a special solace to her and her family through her life's final passage. A memorial service for Mrs. Oldham will be held at 2:30 PM on Sunday, June 1, 2014 in the sanctuary of Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Davidson, North Carolina. A visitation will follow the service, in the church's Congregation House. On Monday, June 2, 2014, a visitation with the family will be held in the Living Room of The Pines at Davidson at 4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may send gifts to: The Residents' Fund The Pines at Davidson 400 Avinger Lane Davidson, NC 28036 Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home & Cremation Service Huntersville, NC is assisting the family. Friends may offer condolences to the family at www.raymerfh.com.