Willie F. Liles Robinson was born on August 31, 1930 in Raleigh, North Carolina.  She was the youngest of Bunn and Jettie Lee Smith Liles' nine children.

Willie graduated in 1948 from Raleigh's Washington High School and from Shaw University in 1952, where she earned her bachelor's degree in education. She began her teaching career in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, but quickly joined her older sisters in New York City.

While in New York City, a college friend introduced her to the love of her life, Lawrence Robinson - a handsome young veteran from Asbury Park, NJ. Willie married Lawrence on July 21, 1956, and the newlywed couple moved to Neptune, NJ to raise their two daughters, Fern Louise and Jacqueline Denise.

Willie spent most of her 30+ years teaching in the Asbury Park School District.  This gave her the opportunity to shape the minds of students at Bangs Avenue School, Bradley School, and finally Asbury Park High School.  As a committed teacher she was devoted to her students' overall well-being and left an indelible mark on their lives. As further testament of her devotion to the children of her community, Willie served on a committee of the Monmouth County Juvenile Court system that sought alternative forms of rehabilitation for youth offenders.

Her teaching career also included her influential leadership in the Asbury Park Education Association's Executive Committee. She served as Vice President for years and led the fight for benefits that Asbury Park union members still enjoy today.

Interestingly, Willie would not allow her daughters to become teachers. She felt that as an aspiring young black woman in the south during the late 1940's, she only had two options, teacher or nurse. She knew that there was so much more available to her daughters so she encouraged, nudged, and insisted that they take their opportunity for professional success in a field that she could not.  And if you knew Willie, you know that was the way that was going to be!

While at Shaw University, Willie became a member of Alpha Rho chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She took her commitment to Delta Sigma Theta seriously and later became a charter member and past president of the Monmouth County Alumnae Chapter. She served on statewide and regional committees, ran for national office, and as a Golden Life member, was actively involved until her health restricted her activities.

Willie was a beautiful woman and her creative style permeated everything she touched. She designed and made most of her clothing. She also created jewelry and sold her creations through her company, Family Affair Enterprises. Even after she was no longer able to sew or make jewelry, she never lost her sense of style.  Willie was always "dressed to the nines" even if she was leaving her house simply to play bingo with her cherished friends, Cynthia and Henry Moore, for outings with Peola and Vernell Smith, or to play the slots in Atlantic City with Bill and Marilyn Griffin.

Willie loved to battle for a cause especially for the underdog. That woman's powers of persuasion were legendary. She could convince you that the sky was green! But get out your flack jacket if you were on the other side, because she played to win at all cost, always!

Willie passed away on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at the home of her daughter and son-in-law in Plainfield, N.J. after a defiant battle against congestive heart failure. She was predeceased by her parents; 7 of her 8 siblings; and most recently her husband, Lawrence (2006); daughter, Fern Greenberg (2009); and son-in-law, Edmund Greenberg (2013).

She leaves behind many loved ones to cherish and remember her feisty spirit, including her daughter, Jacki; son-in-law, Julius Alston; five grandchildren, Camille Alston, Chaz Greenberg, Kenneth Greenberg, Jalesa Harris, and Neil Greenberg; sister, Margaret Ruth Miles; "son", Ronald Lewis and his wife, Maeble Hairston; "daughters", Tracy Cook, Janet Palmer and her husband Peter Vetrano; "Jive Five Sisters", Zara Peters-Wynn, Thelma Slater, and Janice Keener; and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.

Willie's family sincerely thanks anyone who was not specifically mentioned for all the kindness, care, and attention that was extended to Willie after she lost her husband. It is your thoughtfulness that allowed her to live a full and independent life in her home, in Neptune and on her terms.

Willie most definitely "Lived Life Her Way"!