Mary Robinson

Although her official name was Mary, she became “Susie” almost immediately. Upon bringing her home from the hospital, her father, Karl, declared that she “looked more like a Susie than a Mary,” and this nickname stayed with her for the rest of her life. It was a fitting name for the vibrant woman, who would become a devoted wife, a fun-loving mother, a doting grandmother, and a treasured friend to many.

Susie was born on Feb. 3, 1950, at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit to Karl and Margot (Monroe) Vogelheim. The youngest of four children and the only daughter among three older brothers, she was raised in Rogers City, where she enjoyed an adventurous childhood. She often reminisced about spending winter days ice skating at “the Hole” until dusk and taking family ski trips across Michigan.

After graduating from Rogers City High School in 1968, Susie headed west to attend Holy Names College, an all-women’s Catholic college in Walnut Creek, California. Just across the bay from San Francisco, she found herself immersed in one of the most transformative periods in American history, witnessing firsthand the cultural shifts, music, fashion, social movements, and protests that defined the late 1960s. After two years in California, Susie returned to Michigan and earned her degree in Interior Design from Michigan State University.

The lure of the big city and the promise of steady employment drew Susie and a close friend to Houston, Texas, where she worked as an interior designer for the furniture company, Fingers. There, she met and married Ron Ledbetter, who together welcomed two children, Jonathan and Natalie. Although their marriage was short-lived, they remained close friends and devoted co-parents throughout the years.

It was in Houston that Susie met the love of her life, Guy Robinson. Their marriage brought together two families with Susie becoming stepmother to Guy’s children, Hillary and Walker. Susie always said that her proudest achievement was raising four kids.

Long before they married, Susie’s love of travel had begun with an extended ocean voyage to the Far East with her mother. Together, Susie, Guy, and their family built a life defined by curiosity, adventure, and a shared love of discovering new places.

Shortly after their marriage, Guy’s work with an international oil company took the family to London, England. Although the assignment lasted only nine months, it provided the perfect introduction to a lifetime of travel, with memorable adventures throughout England, France, and Germany before the family returned to Houston.

Following a brief year in Houston, the family moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, a posting expected to last two years that ultimately became twenty years. Indonesia quickly became home with Susie immersing herself in its culture, history, and community. Much of family life centered around Jakarta

International School (JIS), where she volunteered in the Booster Hut, designing merchandise and forming friendships with students and families from more than 90 countries, many of whom remained lifelong friends.

During the Indonesian years, Susie discovered a love of tennis, golf, darts, and bridge, and became an active member of organizations including the American Women’s Association and the Saint George’s Society. The family’s years in Asia also opened the door to extraordinary travel throughout the region, with adventures to Bali, New Zealand, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and beyond. Their home in Houston became a reflection of those journeys, filled with treasures and memories collected along the way.

No matter how far her travels took her, Rogers City was always home. Summers were spent at the family home on Lake Huron and at the Grand Lake cottage, surrounded by the Vogelheim family and lifelong friends. After returning to the United States in 2008, Susie and Guy divided their time between Houston and Rogers City, where they loved welcoming children and grandchildren for treasured Michigan summers.

In the end, the places she visited were many, but it was the people she loved and the memories she created with them that mattered most. Susie will be remembered for her fun-loving, adventurous spirit, her boundless curiosity, and the love she shared with family and friends wherever life took her.

Susie is survived by her beloved husband, Guy Robinson; her children, Natalie (Jonathan Lee) Ledbetter of Brooklyn, New York, Jonathan (Megan Saverine) Ledbetter of Wilton, Connecticut, Walker (Casey) Robinson of Houston, Texas, and Hillary (Lee Miller) Robinson of Austin, Texas; her grandchildren, Tallulah, Rowan, and Llewyn Ledbetter, and Darrah and Josephine Robinson; her brother, Karl Vogelheim; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Karl and Margot Vogelheim; her brothers, Neil Vogelheim and John Vogelheim; and her sisters-in-law, Phyllis Vogelheim and Judy Vogelheim.

Her Christian Mass will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026, at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Rogers City followed by a Celebration of Life luncheon in the Parish Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Ignatius Catholic School Endowment Fund or the McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation.

Online condolences may be addressed through www.beckfueralhome.org