Necrology

Margaret Eugenia “Megan” Robb '93

Aug. 12, 1971-Jan. 14, 2021

Margaret Eugenia “Megan” Robb ’93, of Chicago, died peacefully at home on Jan. 14, 2021. For 10 months, she lived with metastatic breast cancer and did so with a blend of hope, guarded optimism, joy, good and sometimes dark humor, and sheer determination.

Born on Aug. 12, 1971, in Summit, N.J., to John and Margaret Carpenter Robb, she spent her childhood in Summit and was proud to have attended public schools from kindergarten through graduation from Summit High School in 1989. During her childhood, Robb forged lifelong friendships through school, athletics, Girl Scouts, and in the pool and on the tennis courts at Clear­water Swim Club. She launched a lifelong dedication to volunteerism at a young age, teaching Sunday school to kindergartners at Calvary Episcopal Church. She would be pleased to report (yet reluctant to admit) that students in her first class were turning 40 this year.

At Hamilton, Robb majored in government. Since setting foot on campus in the fall of 1989, her enthusiasm for the College never waned. Before she died, her alumni friends and family, including siblings William “Bill” Robb ’96 and Susan Macdonald ’99 created the Megan Robb Scholarship in her honor. Her class will remember and celebrate her life at its next reunion with a memorial quilt made from her numerous Hamilton T-shirts.

With a professional career that spanned a broad range of assignments ranging from retail (J.Crew, Bass, and Talbots) to marketing and promotions in digital media (USA Today and Patch.com), in recent years, Robb brought her skills to consulting work focused on creative marketing, operations, and community engagement. It was beyond the 9 to 5 where she found her true happiness, giving her time and energy as a volunteer to countless organizations, charities, and people, including the Junior League of Portland, Maine and Washington, D.C.; University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation Associates Board; Shedd Aquarium Auxiliary Board; the Hamilton College Chicago Regional Alumni Association, and the Hamilton Class of 1993.

After her mother was treated for breast cancer, Robb took up running and became a seven-time Boston Marathon finisher and fundraiser for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. She was the last official finisher in the 2003 Boston Marathon and wore the title as a badge of honor, the same way she proudly wore the title of survivor from the minute of her cancer diagnosis in 2016.

Some might say Robb did not let grass grow beneath her feet. During her adult life she lived in New Jersey; Portland, Maine; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; and Southern California. A trip to France in sixth grade tapped into a love of adventure and turned her into an intrepid traveler. She traveled throughout the U.S. and also to Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Mexico, Italy, Hong Kong, and Trinidad and Tobago, among other locales.

Robb carried with her a deep appreciation for the world and environment around her and a love of adventure. While living in Chicago, she discovered a love of sailing and the camaraderie that went with it. Once sailing became part of her life, many of her most memorable adventures took place on Lake Michigan, and summer trips to her beloved Manomet, Mass., had to be planned around her summer regatta schedule. Robb loved to meet people, displayed a genuine interest in learning about their lives and families, and remained a steadfast, loyal friend. Some of her closest relationships spanned decades, and many of her friends often found themselves connected with each other.

When the pandemic made everyone’s world a bit smaller in 2020, she expanded her reach, bringing friends and family together by sharing stories and supporting them through social media. The Class of 1993 organized weekly virtual gatherings via Zoom, and while Robb’s health permitted she was a regular and enthusiastic participant. Robb treasured her friendships both old and new. Inspirational writing, thoughtful commentary, and quick wit were her hallmarks. Often without knowing it, Robb encouraged others in offering them the opportunity to catch a glimpse of her and her spark.

Although her early years were spent refusing to be known by anything other than her nickname, Megan, she later took great pride in being the fifth generation in a line of women named Margaret. She found great meaning and honor in being a descendant of the Robb, Montgomery, Klotz, and Young families, and her greatest joy was her family. Blessed with an innate gift for storytelling and a great memory for the people and highlights in her family tree, she was an unofficial family historian of sorts. She was keenly aware of the small details in her family members’ lives and enjoyed keeping relatives connected across multiple generations. She knew the joy of being a big sister and took great pride in the accomplishments of her siblings almost as much as if they were her own. During the last decade of her life, she cherished being Aunt Meggie to her loving nieces and nephews, endearing herself to them with fun adventures and the certainty of a trip to the local ice cream joint.

In addition to her brother and sister, Robb is survived by five nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and grandparents.

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