Robertson honored as Woman of Wisdom

SANDPOINT ­— Marilyn Robertson dedicates her passionate energy to the Sandpoint community. A very thoughtful, intelligent and passionate woman who moves through life with grace and dignity, she is the perfect recipient for a 2019 Woman of Wisdom Award.

Marilyn moved from Boise 25 years ago after retiring from her position as a registered nurse and immediately she and her husband, Alan, dove right into the Sandpoint community and became vital pieces of the puzzle. Marilyn and Alan have two children, Mark and Tamara, who both work in the health profession.

Marilyn’s primary focus lies within the First Presbyterian Church. She has served as an elder, deacon, a key leader in the Presbyterian women’s group, and a crucial contributor in the securing of the standard of the Earth Care Congregation for the church. The First Presbyterian Church is the only church in Idaho that has satisfied the requirements to have this title, and it’s primarily due to Marilyn’s rigorous efforts to demonstrate the education, outreach, worship and facilitation the church offers.

Marilyn has also served as a crucial volunteer for Idaho Panhandle Habitat for Humanity. Not only was she in charge of home dedications, she was the master at all the behind-the-scenes duties. Marilyn also had a huge impact on the families after they moved into their homes. She was a coach to the families when it came to things such as making their payments, holding them accountable, and being the support system they so dearly needed. But her efforts did not stop there. If a family was in need, Marilyn would see to it and do everything in her power to make sure that need was met.

Another organization that Marilyn put countless hours towards is CASA—Court Appointed Special Advocates. After gaining 40 hours of training, Marilyn volunteered her time and energy to work and advocate for children who had been removed from their homes for various reasons, giving them a voice and ensuring they thrived and the decisions that were made were in their best interest.

CIRCLES, now known as Bonner Homeless Transitions, has played a big part in Marilyn’s life. She made sure to give positive reinforcement and provided helpful information to the people she met within the transitional program. She spent numerous hours planning, cooking and serving meals to members of CIRCLES. Marilyn demonstrates the common theme of creating lasting relationships and always lending a hand to someone in need of love and support.

A couple other things to add to her extensive list of activities are the Bonner County Historical Museum, “Challenged Riders” (a combination of horseback riding and physical therapy for children with physical and other disabilities) and a member of the Monday Hikers. Also, one her main passions is being an avid “birder”. According to the letters written for her nomination, Marilyn can recognize many of the songs of the birds and can identify 230 of the 235 species she refers to as “Idaho birds”. One person wrote that Marilyn “knows when the Tundra Swan are passing through the Pack River delta and when the Grebes are nesting in Denton Slough.”

On top of her dedication and passion for giving back to the Sandpoint community, Marilyn found the time to write her autobiography, historically searching for the past of her family, both adoptive and biological. In 2014, her personal stories of growing up and learning about her journey were published in “Memories and Mysteries”. Not only does this book explore her genealogy, as she searched far and wide for answers, it also dives into her journey of self-discovery.

In addition to Marilyn Robertson, the other Women of Wisdom 2019 honorees include Debbie Ferguson, Kathleen Bordenave, Mary Jo Ambrosiani, Mary Stevens and Teri Nickisch.

This year’s Women of Wisdom Gala will take place on Saturday, May 11, beginning at 11 a.m. with a welcome reception followed by a luncheon and program from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the The Ponderay Events Center.

To be nominated for Woman of Wisdom, candidates must be 65 years or older. She possesses vision and achieves goals through collaboration. She exhibits a love of learning through the pursuit of knowledge by study or experience. She shows a commitment to the Bonner County community and its members, and has had a positive impact, such as in the areas of art, music, theatre, dance, sports, education and service. She demonstrates dedicated leadership that results in admiration and respect from others. She is an inspiration to others and an example for future generations of women. She faces life’s challenges with grace and courage, and lives with dignity, integrity and honor.

The 2019 Women Honoring Women committee members are: Kari Saccomanno, chair; Diane Arrants, Robin Bianco, Kathy Chambers, Kathy Conger, Barbara Eacret, Deanna Harris, Alana Hatcher, Patty Hutchens, Julie Jurenka, Kendall Lang, Pat Lewis, Debbie Love, Sally Lowry, Leslie Marshall, Jeralyn Mire, Marlene Rorke, Sandy Ross, Marilyn Sabella, Tina Sleyster, Sally Transue and Linda VanDellen.

Congratulations to all the honorees for 2019!