WESTBROOK – Margaret Robie was a very outgoing, social and upbeat lady.

As a lifelong resident of Westbrook, her daughter Beth Byrne said “she knew everybody.”

Additional Photos

Margaret Robie, left, poses with her daughter, Beth Byrne, center, Byrne’s mother-in-law, Joan Kranzberg, right, and grandchildren Kelly and Dan Byrne. They were dressed for a dance recital. Family photo

When Mrs. Robie’s granddaughter Kelly Byrne was younger, she took her shopping one day.

“They got home and (Kelly) said, ‘Mommy, I counted and it was 17 different people Nana knew and we had to stop and talk to them,’ ” Beth Byrne said.

Mrs. Robie died Tuesday. She was 85.

Part of the reason Mrs. Robie knew so many people was her involvement in area organizations. For more than 50 years, she was a member of the Westbrook Women’s Club, serving as president from 1992 to 1994.

She was also involved in the Women’s Literary Union, attending meetings with guest speakers and participating in book club discussions.

Finding joy in jazz, Mrs. Robie danced every weekend to the music of the Don Doane Band at Valle’s.

“She was crushed when they closed,” Byrne said.

In recent years when Mrs. Robie was unable to dance, her daughter would take her to local venues that had weekly jazz concerts.

While she stayed settled in Westbrook, Mrs. Robie enjoyed traveling across the country and abroad. Her daughter remembers when they took a “huge trip” out West, stopping in many states along the way.

“She always used to say, ‘Been there, done that,’ ” when someone would mention traveling, her daughter said.

Mrs. Robie shared her love for travel with her grandchildren as well, taking them on special trips. She took her granddaughter Kelly to New York City during the holiday season to see the Rockettes perform, and her grandson Dan to Boston for a Duck Tour, her daughter said.

Never missing one of her grandchildren’s games, concerts or performances, Mrs. Robie was a very involved grandmother. When Kelly was dancing at the Centre of Movement School of Performing Arts in Gorham, Mrs. Robie, her grandson, Byrne, and Byrne’s mother-in-law Joan Kranzberg all participated in “Generation Connection.” The family dressed in yellow to perform a dance routine for the school’s annual recital.

“It was a fun thing we all did together,” Byrne said.

Always dressed nicely, Mrs. Robie also participated in area fashion shows, raising funds for local organizations.

“She was very photogenic and loved to dress up,” her daughter said. “She was a very pretty woman.”

Staff Writer Emma Bouthillette can be contacted at 791-6325 or at: ebouthillette@pressherald.com

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