Funeral Details

Robin Diane Meyer

March 22, 1957 - December 24, 2025

SERVICE INFORMATION

Date and Time

Monday, December 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Graveside

Menorah Gardens
2630 South 17th Avenue
Broadview, Illinois 60153
Get Directions

Clergy

Rabbi Menachem Cohen

Shiva

Meyer Residence
5060 North Marine Drive, Unit D2
Chicago, Illinois 60640
Get Directions
Monday and Tuesday beginning at 4pm

Memorial Contributions

Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, (CRCMC)
4805 Edgemoor Lane, 2nd floor
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
www.crcmc.org




OBITUARY

Robin Diane Meyer, 68, passed away on December 24 from gastric cancer, surrounded by her family. Robin was a retired Foreign Service Officer, who was grateful for the opportunity to serve her country at U.S. diplomatic missions in Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Ecuador, as well as the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. At the State Department, Robin led offices focused on the United Nations and Central Africa. Robin received numerous awards for her work. In 1996, following her expulsion from Cuba by the Cuban government, a Washington Post editorial praised her "personal courage and fortitude" in her contacts with Cuban human right activists. Before joining the Foreign Service, Robin worked at the Department of Justice on the resettlement of Cubans and Haitians who arrived during the 1980 Mariel boatlift and at the Department of Commerce on steel trade issues. Following her retirement after 34 years with the Foreign Service, Robin volunteered as a mediator at a community mediation center and with voter protection organizations. Robin received her bachelor's degree from Grinnell College and master's degrees from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs and the U.S. Naval War College. Robin is survived by her beloved siblings, sisters June Meyer and Lindy Meyer, and brother and sister-in-law Harris Meyer and Deborah Mihm, as well as her niece and nephew, Scarlet Levy and Oliver Levy. Graveside service Monday, 1:00pm at Menorah Gardens Cemetery, (Section A) 2630 South 17th Avenue, Broadview, Illinois. In lieu of flowers donations to the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County, (CRCMC) 4805 Edgemoor Lane, 2nd floor, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 www.crcmc.org would be appreciated. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals – Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com


GUEST BOOK

We encourage you to share your personal condolences and stories of Robin Diane Meyer below and we will share them with the family.
*Email and phone numbers will NOT be displayed online


I remember growing up with Robin and her siblings my cousins.

Joel Shinbrood
December 26, 2025
The death of Robin comes as a shock but, alas, not as a surprise.

The last communication we had was by e-mail, in May. "I'll look a little more stylish when you see me - I now have a wig that is much more disciplined than my hair ever was. The wig is better than my 'Fiddler on the Roof' look in a scarf ..." So like her! Self-deprecating, funny, culturally astute.

I met Robin in 1988, when we were both brand-new Foreign Service Officers going through orientation in Washington DC. We were also both enrolled in the Spanish-to-Portuguese "language conversion" class at the Foreign Service Institute, prior to our assignments to Brazil -- Sao Paulo for her, Porto Alegre for me. After that, we only served at the same "post" one other time, 1999-2000, as State Department Pearson Fellows in the United States Senate. However, over the course of her long and distinguished career, and afterwards in her all-too-brief retirement phase, we would always keep in touch.

Her career in the Foreign Service was a distinguished one. Anybody who worked with Robin knew she exemplified the highest levels of integrity and dedication. She loved being an FSO, and representing our nation. More broadly, she truly relished being of service -- whether as a diplomat, as a mediator, as a special aunt, as a trusted friend.

My heart goes out to the Meyer family. This must be terribly hard for you all. Please know that many others are currently sharing in your grief at the loss of one beautiful human being, Robin Diane Meyer.

Bennett Lowenthal
December 26, 2025
We are heartbroken. Over many years, in the DC area, my husband, Steve, and I had the delight of sharing meals and conversations with Robin. Passionate and dedicated to her work, there was always a youthful quality to Robin. We ran into each other at the No Kings rally in Bethesda...at first I wasn't sure it was her, because her wig was so different from her beautiful long, dark, wavy hair, but as I got closer, it was a thrill to see that it was indeed Robin...full of warmth and loving enthusiasm, animated and energetic. Her devotion to her niece, and love for her whole family, was always strong and clear; your grief must be deep and we send all our condolences. Robin left her mark on this world, with all her abundant goodness; she will not be forgotten.

Nina Falk
December 26, 2025
Robin was a radiant presence. Her energy and good heartedness, combined with a tough inner core, were just some of her endearing attributes. She was also unfailingly interesting to talk to, and to be with. Her clear-eyed pride in her career, and in our country's course, was inspiring, as was her courage under fire, notably in her celebrated tenure in Cuba -- where she made the right kind of enemies! Our world is diminished by her departure from it. My condolences, and Nina's , to Robin's family.

Steven Silverman
December 27, 2025
I worked with Robin a few times in my 31 years at State. I remember best her work in Cuba when she took me to see human rights activists. Their love and gratitude for her support was profound— and they had baked a cake for our chat, despite probably having to use months of sugar rations. Her commitment to human rights and democracy was truly inspiring. May she rest in peace.

Roberta Jacobson
December 27, 2025
Robin was a colleague who became a good friend. Beautiful in all senses of the word, accomplished, and wonderfully unpretentious, down to earth. I'll miss her.

Rick Ehrenreich
December 27, 2025
Robin was a wonderful person, an ever-supportive friend, and a source of great happiness to those of us lucky enough to have known her. It is such a great loss to bear, but we take heart in knowing that she is now at peace after bravely fighting her illness.

Marya and Matt Vlissides
December 27, 2025
This is my farewell and tribute to one of the most exceptional human beings I have known. Robin exuded love for humanity, contagious optimism, and joy for life.
I met Robin volunteering at the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County where she and I were bilingual (English-Spanish) mediators in cases that ranged from parenting planning to school student conflicts. Soon, we created a strong professional and human rapport. It turned out that being myself an Argentinean Jew, having Spanish as native language, and both embracing the Jewish tenet of “Tikkun Olam” (“improve the world mandate”), we had many points in common. Soon, we developed a friendship shared with my wife who also befriended Robin.
We invited Robin to tour some of the most interesting places of Howard County, Maryland where I live. It was wonderful to feel that I was the “local” who was hosting a person that could very well have signed my migration documents!
We learned about the deeds of “Our Woman in Havana” (an article about her experience in Cuba where Robin was a Human Rights attaché.
Both my wife and I are devastated with Robin’s loss. However, I know that the legacy of Robin will keep her memory alive with all the people that she has touched doing “Tikkun Olam”. We will miss Robin.

Alberto Grosmark
December 28, 2025
My treasured friend, gone too soon. We shared so many moments - great conversations, international trace l, and countless moments that I will always treasure.
When I was ill, Robin was there with me. I will always carry her in my heart for her laughter, compassion extended far beyond her family and friends, and her work and many people she will never meet. She believed in showing up, in doing, good, and in giving generously of her time, her energy and her heart. That generosity extended so naturally to me. My daughter and granddaughter. A true family friend.

We were colleagues at Department of Justice, Community Relations Services, Cuban/Haitian Task Force back in mid-80s. In a very short time, we became good friends. It was a crisis management period, Robin was outstanding at her assignment and supportive to our daily challenges. Robin left for Department of State to begin her diplomatic career. We kept in close contact and I visited her at post occasionally.

Robin, will be truly missed, her intense bright and curious mind .

Rest dear friend, you will always be fondly remembered.
Joyce Taylor

Missed

Joyce Taylor
December 29, 2025
I only ever spent a few hours with Robin, however I’d heard of her diplomat’s journeys from my friend, her brother, for 40+ years.
Robin was very, very welcoming as I, a stranger from Oregon, joined in DC family outings with my daughter the MPA graduate student, her brother, and his wife last May. Everything about her at home confirmed my previous regard of her as a multi-lingual scholar, using intellect, hard work and strong sense of fairness to make lives better. In fact, human rights updates from her postings, given us by her brother had, for 3 decades, been ripples of inspiration in our family. An unsung heroine in service to her country, with the extra zest of a warm, kind, and understanding heart in person.

I found a thumbnail picture of her as a “Hometown Diplomat” in front of a Chicago class of teens, from US State Department archives
2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/pl/c6865.htm

I started thinking about these young faces, and all persons who listened to her. Laws of physics tell us matter & energy are neither created nor destroyed, only transformed. I know for sure Robin left innumerable sparks of inspiration in people all over the world. We can’t know the end of the stories, but their energy continues.

Maria Everhart
December 29, 2025