Dicki Lee Esplin Robinson passed away peacefully at her home in Orderville, Utah early on Tuesday morning September 3rd, 2019.  She lived an exemplary life of service, strict self-discipline, glorious creativity and fierce independence. We will miss this grand old lady.

Dicki was born in Kane County Hospital on November 13th, 1947 to Richard and Phyllis (Chamberlain) Esplin. Her loving parents raised her to adulthood in Orderville, Utah as the oldest of six sisters (Marsha, Terry, Lucy, Sally and Rochelle). Dicki was a good student and participated in drama and music programs (flute) in high school. In her college years she attended Stevens-Henager College and sharpened her secretarial skills. She first met her husband on a blind date and married Michael Dale Robinson in the St.George Temple on October 7th 1967. They settled in Kanab and raised six children ” all girls except for five boys”,  she would say!

Being a wife and mother was her priority and passion. While her children were young she fed them on hot cereal, raw milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables and homemade whole wheat bread. She took them to the library and the pool, to Grandma’s house  and to the sand dunes. She read to them; stories and scriptures, poems and delightful creations from her own imagination. She loved her family and saw it as her bounden duty to worry about them until they were safe at home! When her children were in school she moonlighted as a script writer for Road Shows and as a storytime storyteller for the library. Dicki surprised everyone when she joined her older son’s as interns at KCKK Radio. She became a country DJ with the moniker of ” Momma D” and she worked the late shift playing call-in requests for truck drivers.

She fueled children’s education in her community by inspiring a love for books and reading as a volunteer storyteller at the Library for their summertime program. Story time became a spark that fired her second career and her last great dress up finale. She loved to dress up as Mother Goose or a character in one of her stories. Dicki supported herself and her husband in their later years as the  Kanab City librarian after the tenure of Marilyn Watson.

Dicki  became a community icon as librarian and greatly broadened her associations, her circle of friends, and her local fame as a storyteller and lover of good books. 

She was inspired by the idea of participating in the 100-year anniversary of the All-Women Town Council celebration and reenactment but the little girl in her loved to dress up in the beautiful period dress, hat, and a parasol – oh, and don’t forget the gloves! 

The Robinson family matriarch was preceded in death by her parents,  sister Marsha and two grandchildren. She is survived by her faithful husband, all of her children and 25 grandchildren!  Dicki will be remembered  as a nurturing mother and grandmother, a doting wife, and a wonderful friend.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday September 9th at the Orderville Chapel. Viewings will be held at 6 p.m. on Sunday September 8th in Kanab at Mosdell Mortuary, and again one hour preceding services.
In lieu of flowers please donate to Friends of Kanab City Library!