Robin Gail Monihan-Yoffa, 66, of 40 Hamilton Avenue, Jamestown, RI, passed away Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.
She was the beloved wife and best friend of Joe Yoffa for 41 years. Born Nov. 1, 1955 in Somers Point, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Bob and Joy Monihan. Robin grew up in Ocean City, NJ, where her love for the water began.
Robin graduated RISD with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1979. She had a 30-year design career and owned her own business, Robin Monihan Interior Design. She passed the NCIDQ qualification exam and had professional affiliations with ASID and IIDA. Every project she worked on, she took the care and attention to detail as if it were her own home, which she designed herself. She made long lasting impressions and friendships throughout her entire career.
Robin loved being on the water with her family. She spent most summers on their boat, Bob (named after her father), fishing, lobstering and taking harbor cruises around Narragansett Bay. Competitive to the core, Robin and Joe had a yearly lobster competition with a trophy ceremony capping off each season. She participated in the 1.7 mile Save the Bay Swim eight times and took the time to train her daughter, who joined her four times.
She was an ardent cook and entertainer – a gift that she passed along to her daughter. Travel and food were a huge part of her life; she had a special place in her heart for the Bahamas. She had a keen eye and took the most beautiful photos capturing these experiences.
Robin was incredibly creative, she was an avid crossword puzzle solver, veracious reader and animated Patriots fan. Using sea life as her inspiration, Robin was passionate about ceramics and displayed work in many art shows with honorable mention. She loved sewing, making all her daughters Halloween costumes and prom dress.
She treasured her community and found ways to give back, whether it was volunteering as the materials coordinator for the Jamestown playground in 1990 or serving on the PTO and Chamber of Commerce. She was known for making the most phenomenal BIG sandwiches for the other volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. She was never afraid of rolling up her sleeves and getting dirty or shy about submitting a letter to the editor.
Above all else, Robin loved having fun with her family and friends. Overcoming adversity with a smile, she was always the person you wanted by your side. She had a great sense of humor and was quite a prankster. No matter how much she had going on, she was always willing to help or offer advice (even if it was unsolicited). Her thoughtfulness, generosity and kindhearted nature will live on in all of those she touched.
Robin is survived by her daughter, Hannah, and her husband Corey (Meierovics) and their son, Arlo; siblings Michael and his wife Holly; Jeffrey and his partner Ellen (Grossman); niece and nephew, Lindsay and her husband Jeffrey (Stein) and their children, Charles, William and Catherine, Christopher and his wife, Andrea and their children, Maren and the late Renee Monihan; in-laws, Edith and the late Yana (Yoffa); sister-in-law, Joyce and Barbara (Yoffa).
The family will hold a celebration of Robin’s life at a later time.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice of Portsmouth, RI.
