Robyn Dombrowski, 70

We are shocked and saddened to report that our kind, generous and loving wife, mom, and grandma, friend and spitfire, Robyn Dombrowski, has died June 11, 2023 at Anaconda Community Hospital. She fought cholangiocarcinoma for several months with courage, determination, vulnerability, grace, and most importantly, with hope. She most unwillingly left behind her husband, Wayne Dombrowski; daughters, Heather Lopp, (Erin Slack), Brianna Turley, Amanda Williams, Vickie White; as well as countless friends and family members.

Robyn was born to Gordon and Inez Burnett, June 29, 1952, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. She was described as a happy baby and grew up a happy child, never without a puppy, kitten, horse or occasional squirrel. Her family moved to Montana in the late 1960s and Robyn graduated from Polson High School. She then attended Concordia College.

After college she married Robert Clayton, and had two daughters, Heather and Erin, both born in Polson. The family moved to the high country of Arizona for a few years, and then returned to the Flathead Valley, in Kalispell. After both daughters graduated from Flathead High School, and Heather married, Robert, Robyn and Erin enjoyed life in the open spaces of Roundup. They, then, finally settled squarely between Anaconda and Deer Lodge.

On Aug. 8, 2009, Robyn and Wayne Dombrowski married and joined their lives of love, affection, service and stability.

Throughout her life, Robyn expressed a desire to know God. Disappointed with the hypocrisy she witnessed in many faiths, she began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses and became convinced of what she learned as truth. That belief set a precedent for how she framed the rest of her life. Sharing her hope of a beautiful future, and assisting others to utilize tools to effect positive changes in their lives, regardless of their beliefs, became the mainstay of her life’s course. Robyn spent over 30 years serving as a full-time minister in that endeavor.

Robyn in all her embodiments, was someone with whom we laughed and cried, joked and teased, sympathized, cringed at, admired, respected, and, ultimately, loved.

How does one sum up the existence of such a cherished human in so few sentences? How do we describe the impact of one specific person on the lives of so many others? Maybe we begin with ice cream parties, an unmistakable, completely identifiable cackle, cheap shoes, farting ring tones, turkey roasting instructions, gift giving, adoration and adoption of other people’s children, letter writing mornings, biking the Hiawatha trail, garage sales, barbecue buying, iPad deal sleuthing, lunches at Panera, surprise tractor purchases, unvarnished commentaries, savage loyalty and divine-like love.

Our Robyn lived with a resolution. A resolution embodied by the words of the psalmist, “…I will never abandon my loyal love for him Nor be untrue to my promise.” Our Robyn lived and died with a hope. A sure hope. A hope expressed by the inspired words of the Bible’s prophet Isaiah, “Awake and shout joyfully you residents in the dust! And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.” Isaiah 26:19

A memorial service has already been held for this woman we’ve called our own.