Barbara Robertson

Obituary for Barbara Lilian Eddy Robertson April 1, 1929 – December 9, 2014 Barbara "Bobbie" Robertson (85) of Zionsville died on Tuesday December 9th. She was born on April 1, 1929, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She grew up there and received her B.A. honors degree in history and teaching diploma from Rhodes University. It was at Rhodes that she met and eventually married Neville "Robbie" Robertson. They went on to be high school teachers in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe for 13 years before moving to Bloomington, Indiana. In Bloomington, they attended Indiana University where they both obtained doctorates in higher education. Bobbie was a very popular professor at I.U. in the educational psychology department, prior to returning to South Africa in 1973. There she worked at the Johannesburg College of Education, where she was a trainer of the next generation of teachers. Her goal, however, was always to return to the USA which she loved dearly. In 1985 she returned to Bloomington and tutored members of the IU football and basketball teams – several of whom attended bowl games or were members of the 1987 NCAA championship team. Over the next decade she became a grandmother three times over. In 2000 she moved up to Zionsville to be with her eldest daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. She is survived by her two daughters, Lesley MacKellar of Zionsville and Jacquie Ballantine of Ottawa, Canada, her sons-in-law, Warren MacKellar and Roy Ballantine, three granddaughters, Megan Ballantine, Nicola Ballantine and Robin MacKellar, and two nieces Natalie Jacklin-Chetty and Vanessa Jacklin-Levin of Johannesburg, South Africa. Bobbie will be remembered for her great storytelling abilities, positive attitude towards life, and strength and courage. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent Hospice, 8450 N. Payne Road, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46268 or St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1525 Mulberry Street, Zionsville, IN 46077.