Valoa Robinson

Valoa Sorensen Robinson passed away on Saturday, September 26, 2026 after a short battle with colon cancer. She spent her final two weeks at Carriage Cove Recovery Center in Rexburg, Idaho, where the nurses and staff showed her kindness, dignity, and compassion. Her children held her hand and read loving messages from family to her as she slept comfortably in her final days. Her son David was at her bedside when she passed away. Her passing was peaceful.

Valoa (pronounced vuh-LOW-uh) grew up in Lost River near Arco, Idaho, on a family farm, the second oldest of nine children. She was Butte County High School co-valedictorian and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University in Provo, graduating magna cum laude. There she also met and fell in love with Lynn Robinson. They were married on June 1, 1972.

She was an example and hero to her children, and a loving wife and mother.

She lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) from her early 20s throughout her life; her family jokes that, as a farmer's daughter, she was simply too stubborn to let MS put her in a wheelchair, and it never did. While she quietly endured the physical and neurological toll of MS for most of her life, she raised five children, served in multiple church callings, participated in and volunteered at local schools, and blessed all around her with encouragement and love. Those caring for her in the final years and days of her life were struck by her ability to endure and stay clear-minded, present, and mostly positive, despite sometimes-intense pain.

She was always curious and intellectually engaged, and her enthusiasm for learning was contagious. She could often be found watching lectures on TV or reading heavy volumes. Friends and acquaintances found her conversation stimulating, and she was a wonderful listener.

To her children, she was always an example of finding delight in the world around her and of doing hard things, of love and good principles, of seeing and magnifying the good in others, and of finding blessings and accepting situations life could bring. She was known for sayings like “Nobody gets out of this life alive” and “You don’t always get to choose your circumstances, but you get to choose how you respond.” She was a light to those around her, and showed love to everyone. With her passing, we feel as if there is one less bright light in the world.

In her hobbies, Valoa was a voracious reader, as well as an artist, poet, and writer; she wrote an unpublished novel, a personal collection of poetry, and many journals. She drew comics for her children as they served missions and at other times; offered advice and productive critique on others’ art and projects, and in her youth created paper dolls for her sisters that almost looked professionally designed and are cherished to this day. She encouraged her kids to read a great deal, and made it a point never to stop her kids from staying up late reading. Throughout her life, Valoa loved learning about a great variety of subjects and sharing what she learned with others; when her children sometimes complained of having too many interests to be able to pursue at once, she would say “the wonderful thing about Eternity is, there will be enough time.”

She is survived by her husband, Lynn Robinson; her children and their spouses, Jared (Janice), David, Christian (Katie), Rebecca, and Kimball (Kari); her twelve grandchildren and five step-grandchildren, whom she called "absolutely scrumptious"; and her siblings, Ronald, Ivean, Koelyn (John, deceased), Vernon (Barbara), Renee (Jim), Rhonda (Brett), and Shaunna (Herman).

She was preceded in death by her grandson, Alek (2022); her parents, Weldon (1971) and Norma (2003); and her brother, Mitchell (2018), husband of Elaine.

Mom's own hope and belief is that her spirit has returned home to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, in whom she placed her faith throughout her life, and that she has been reunited with her parents, grandparents, and family who went before her; she is free now from the burdens of mortality and finally has enough time to learn all the things. She held to the promise of eternal marriage and family, and trusted that death is only a door. We will miss her more than words can say, and she will remain with us and part of who we are.

Funeral services:

• Funeral: Friday, October 2, at 11:00 a.m. at 700 Park St, Rexburg, ID 83440
• Graveside service: Rexburg Cemetery, (navigate in Google Maps)
• Luncheon for family at the chapel, after the graveside service

In lieu of flowers, Valoa requested that donations be made to support the education, literacy, and wellbeing of vulnerable children. Her family invites you to make a tribute gift in her memory to one of the following organizations:

• International Rescue Committee (IRC) – Supporting education and crisis relief for refugee children globally: https://help.rescue.org/donate/make-tribute-donation 
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) – Providing books and literacy resources to underserved children in the United States: https://secure.rif.org/page/29827/donate/1?transaction.inmem=Y 
• Room to Read – Transforming lives through global literacy and girls' education in Asia and Africa: https://www.roomtoread.org/give-in-honor/ 

When making your donation online, you may select the option to give "In Honor Of" and enter her name to help us track the collective impact of her legacy.