Robyn Golda Smith (Evans, Wilson), 73, of Godfrey, passed away at 9:39 a.m. on Monday March, 20, 2023 at St. Anthony's Hospital in Alton, one week after contracting covid while at River Crossing of Alton, having just recovered from pneumonia two weeks earlier at St. Anthony's.

Robyn was born in Wood River  in a neighborhood locally known as "Little Italy", to William and Bessie Smith on Sunday March, 12, 1950.

Her sister Marolyn, 10 years her elder, recounts not having known that their mother was expecting a child when late that night, at home and to her surprise, she was asked by a family member "Do you want to see your new little sister".

Her parents and several older siblings were recent transplants from Shenandoah, Iowa, who knew how to do things the old fashioned way; on your own, on the cheap, without professional help. Her father was a carpenter, her mother a homemaker.

Robyn told stories of witnessing her mother patch drafty walls in their home with papier mache', cooking with little to nearly no ingredients, taking in hobos from the railroad tracks across the alley and tirelessly supporting a church cooperative started in-home with her sister Etta Arnold, which later became the Church of God of Prophecy on Pence street in East Alton.

At a church camp in 1966, at the age of 16, Robyn met her first husband, Joe Evans of Chicago (originally from Big Sandy, Tennessee). They were married just months later in the living room of her sister Marolyn and husband John Miner's, home in Wood River. In July of 1967 she gave birth to her first child, a son, Richard Timothy Evans, to whom Joe quickly gave the nickname "Baby Boobsy" (for reasons that are still not completely clear or fit for print, you decide). By 1970, Robyn had graduated from Kitzmiller Beauty College and over the next few years she worked as a Beautician / Hairdresser at multiple salons in Alton. In November of 1973 Robyn gave birth to her second child, a son, Bryon Joseph Evans, to whom Joe affectionately dubbed "Bean Baby" due to similarities between holding the boy and holding a then fashionable doll that was filled with literal beans. The spelling, Bryon, was intentionally comprised of the same letters as her name and, laughing, she would tell anyone who asked "He's a mixed up Robyn".

In 1977 she opened her first beauty salon named Robyn's Beuaty Salon, at 256 East Ferguson Ave., in Wood River. Her salon was located at that address for a few years until she upgraded to a larger space, one block down, at 144 East Ferguson Ave, next door to Mrs. Seibold's Bake Shop. A few years more and Robyn's again moved one block west to 57 East Ferguson, across the street from the then Western Auto / Ace Hardware store. She would later sell the salon to her long time employee and friend Carlyss Ritter.

During the mid1980's Robyn co-formed a singing duo with her sister Carolyn, both had been raised singing in church. They named the duo Carrob, formed from the first three letters of each of their names. Carrob spent large parts of 1986 and 1987 touring the USA, visiting Country music radio stations, performing at state fairs and other venues, in promotion of their indie/Tamara Records release which was produced by Nashville's Dewayne Orender (originally from Granite City, Illinois). They knew Mr. Orender from their youth by family and church connections. Discogs has the Tamara Records information on their song I Miss Loving You, recorded in 1988 but released in 1989 at a point shortly after their falling out with Mr. Orender due to personal and professional difference. You can view it at this address: https://www.discogs.com/release/10971068-Carrob-I-Miss-Loving-You . If you would like to hear their songs either search YouTube for Carrob - I miss loving you (1988) or use this address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyJz_0GIc3k

In 1989 Robyn and Joe divorced after 23 years of marriage. Through most of the 1990s Robyn worked in various fields; as a bus driver for Madison County Transport (MCT) for which she also initiated the unionization of, as a Greeter / Hostess at the Alton Belle Casino, and other positions at the Riverport/Harrah's Casino in Earth City/Maryland Heights, Missouri. By the end of the 1990s Robyn met Robert Bruce Wilson Sr. of Granite City, Illinois, whom she would later marry and divorse in the mid 2000s. In 2003 she had an accident which led to her acquiring Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), for which there is no cure and little suitable treatment for. Her RSD/CRPS eventually led to a long (10+ years) series of pain remediation treatments, a spinal stimulator implant and the eventual decline of her nervous system's ability to regulate pain which affected most parts of her body.

From the latter 2000s until 2011 Robyn lived in the senior apartments at the old Humbolt School at the corner of East 6th St. and Central Ave. in Alton. She made many friends there, as she always did anywhere she went. In 2011, Robyn, now a widow of her second husband, Robert, reconciled with her first husband, Joe, and moved into his home in Godfrey, paying him rent so that, in her words, "just so we're clear". It appears that their getting back together after 22 years apart was amicable and based upon the goodwill of an understanding that each of their respective health conditions were untenable alone. This living arrangement lasted until March of 2023. Throughout their separation both had remained friends and performed their roles as parents and grandparents with both dignity and respect.

As a person, and apart from the "Show Time" which she referred to work as, Robyn was mindful of and empathetic to the circumstance and situations of others. Routinely, she was both aunt and surrogate mother to many if not most of her nieces and nephews regardless of the difficulties that she at times had to endure to do so, and she did so with sincere joy and hopefulness for those who at those times greatly needed the support of such a selfless person. Robyn was, as many say of those who give of themselves their all, truly "Giving to a fault" but she didn't mind being that way. If you needed her last dollar, she would find a way to get you 100 dollars and then pay that back herself plus the 10 in interest to wherever she had found it and never mention it to you because she had faith, real faith. She believed in grace and knew that her time here wasn't going to last forever in any way other than in the hearts of all who she could love. Robyn did not set up wealth in life, outside of herself, she set up wealth in Heaven which is only found within the heart. She knew this as truth and acted accordingly.

One of her biggest sources of joy, which she gave many thanks for, was that of being a grandmother. The main two stones in her ring of life which she will wear forever are named Tracy Dawn Brotzman (Evans) and Tanner Jamison Evans. On several occasions, while she still could, Grandma Robyn dropped whatever she had going on in order to be with her grandchildren at even a whiff of their needing her. She enjoyed nothing more than just hanging out with her grand-buddies; being corny, watching goofy movies, laughing with, listening to and hugging on them.

Anyone who knew her, knows that Robyn had a spiritual gift of being able to communicate without any apparent physical means. The "force" in her was strong. If her ghost haunts you, you will know it, there will be no speculation about it. So, hide your white cheddar popcorn, popsicles and saltine crackers unless you wish to be considered an enabler. Should your stereo suddenly belt out Eric Clapton's "I've Got a Rock n Roll Heart" or Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" all on its own, get out, leave everything there and flee the premises! As Robert Plant once so eloquently said: "Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good". You've been warned.

Robyn "Peach" Golda Smith will be remembered and dearly missed. We love you mom, grandma, partner, sister, aunt, friend, counselor, confidant, coconspirator, copilot, cheer leader, supporter and, now, angel. And we will never stop doing so.

Robyn is survived by her former husband / life partner, Joe, two sons, Richard and Bryon, two grandchildren, Tracy and Tanner, sisters Betty Phillips, Marolyn Miner and Rebecca "Lil Becky" Pletka, brothers Paul "Tommy" Smith and John Smith and many nieces and nephews who love her dearly. She was proceeded in passing by former husband Robert Wilson; sisters, Charlotte Nesbit and Carolyn Novak; brothers Baby Ernie Smith and Robert Smith Sr. who are also all greatly missed.

There will be a gathering held for all who are interested in the coming month (or months) in memorial of Robyn, the exact date and location is yet to be determined. If you have ideas about or wish to contribute to the planning and/or fulfilling of this event please contact either Richard or Bryon.