LCol (retired) Shirley Margaret Robinson, CD, RCAF and CAF

Passed peacefully on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, in Ottawa, Ontario. Predeceased by her parents, Howard Robinson and Emily May (Dexter) Robinson, formally of Lucknow, Ontario and by her brother William Robinson, formerly of Ripley, Ontario. Survived by her nephew Darryl Robinson of Kincardine, Ontario and her niece Lisa (Robinson) Blackwell of Ripley, Ontario and grandnieces, Aspen Robinson of Canmore, Alberta, Ashley Blackwell (Banton) of Acton, Ontario, grandnephew James Blackwell and sister-in-law Annetta (Forester) Robinson of Ripley, Ontario. Also survived by many cousins and dear friends.

Shirley graduated from the General and Marine Hospital School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse in 1953. She enlisted in the RCAF in 1954 and during a thirty year career with the Canadian Forces, served in numerous nursing and administrative positions in Canada and overseas, which included that of a Staff Officer to the Surgeon General at National Defence Head Quarters (NDHQ) and Director of Nursing at the National Defence Medical Centre, Ottawa, Ontario. She was a graduate of the Canadian Forces Junior Staff School and the Command and Staff College in Toronto, Ontario. Prior to her retiring in 1984, Shirley served as the Deputy Director of the Women Personnel at NDHQ and as such was intimately involved with all aspects of women's employment and conditions of service with the Armed Forces.

After retirement, she was politically active in gaining equity for military women. She was a founding member of the Association for Women's Equality in the Canadian Forces (AWECF), acted as the consultant to the Canadian Human Rights Commission and was instrumental in having all military occupations opened to women. This was achieved in 1989. She was a Past President of the Nursing Sisters Association of Canada and a Past President of the Ottawa Unit of this Association.

For devoting a significant part of her life to improving and enhancing the role and opportunities of the Canadian Forces women, while a member of the Armed Forces and after her retirement, Shirley Robinson received the Governor General's Award in commemoration of the Persons case in October 1992.

In 2002, Shirley was nominated for the YW/YMCA Women of Distinction Award (Ottawa) under the category of Lifetime Achievement.