04 Oct Lena Robbins
Tuesday 6th September 2022
It was with great sadness that the club today received news of the death of Lena Robbins at the age of 89 years.
Lena died peacefully this morning at her care home where she lived after becoming increasingly frail in the last few years. We think Lena must have been the last surviving founder member of the club who served on the club committee for over 40 years, most notably for many, many years in charge of the club’s Bernershop.
Lena receiving a gift as recognition for her founder member status and long service on committee at our Ruby Jubilee event in 2011 from then club Chairman, the late Frank Whitbread and longstanding Club Patron Maurice Johnson.
Along with her contemporaries Diana Cochrane and Brenda Griffiths she was made a Life Member of the club in recognition of her service to the club and breed and she was one of the pioneers of the breed in the UK importing and breeding significant dogs for the breed under her Tarncred affix. In the process she became one of the most successful and influential early breeders of Bernese Mountain Dogs in the UK and her dogs went on to become important foundations for many of the successful kennels to follow. Her total respect from this period endured through the rest of her life and all of us who enjoy our Bernese in the UK today have much to be grateful for to Lena.
We will publish more updates on Lena in due course, and advise of the funeral arrangements, but for now our thoughts and best wishes are with her son Stephen and the rest of her family and friends.
Update 13th September
Lena Robbins’ son, Stephen, has asked us to share details of her funeral, which will be held on Monday 3 October 2022 at 11am at Clayton Woods Burial Ground, BN6 9PD.
All are welcome to attend but Steve has asked that the Club coordinates the numbers attending. If you are intending to go to the funeral, please would you let our Secretary, Karen Bird know, by email at secretary@bernese.co.uk
Steve requests no flowers, but donations to Sussex, Surrey & Kent Air Ambulance via Lena’s memory page https://www.memorygiving.com/dorotheaadelinarobbins
For those attending our Jubilee event next week, we will be observing a minute’s silence at the opening of our 2022 Championship Show on Friday 23 Sept, in memory of our late Queen, Queen Elizabeth II.
At the opening of our Golden Jubilee and 50th Anniversary Championship shows on Saturday 24 Sept, we will be observing a minute’s silence in memory of Lena.
Stephen also shared this more recent photo of Lena.
Update 27th September
The club held a minute’s silence prior to our double Championship Show Day on Saturday 24th September at our 5 day Golden Jubilee event. The widespread respect for Lena of course meant that the silence was immaculately observed. Lena was also mentioned by President Steve Green in his speech to the main evening event of the Golden Jubilee event
Update October 4th
Lena’s funeral took place yesterday and the club was represented by Hon Secretary Karen Bird and Committee Member Malcolm Peter, former committee members Toni Rose and Mary Thorman were also present along with Des and Jackie Avery. In line with the wishes of Lena’s son Stephen, Karen took her Bernese Milan to represent the breed that meant so much to her. Mary read the eulogy and following the service there was a green burial for Lena.
The club is in the process of preserving Lena’s Tarncred affix at the Kennel Club.