Deborah Mitchell Robinson was born on January 10, 1952 to Earlie and Berlena Mitchell in Houston, Texas. She graduated with the first class of Kashmere Senior High School at 6900 Wileyvale June 1969 in the top 10 percent of her class. Deborah always enjoyed dancing and honed those skills upon joining the squadron drill team and cheerleading squad at Kashmere. Much of the education and skills she learned at Kashmere helped her excel in her college studies and her career.
Deborah completed her freshman year of college at Oklahoma Christian College and was one of the editors for the college newspaper. In 1970, she transferred to the University of Houston. While there, she pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Zeta Sigma Chapter in 1971. Deborah choreographed many of the routines performed by her pledge class known as “Line So Fine”. She received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Houston in 1973.
Upon graduation, she accepted a position at NASA’s Johnson Space Center as an editor. One of her duties was to edit tapes dispatched to earth from the Apollo satellite prior to being released to the media. She was also granted an internship at the ABC network on a public service program as one of the hosts and assistants in the fall of 1973. Later, she accepted a position with the United States Postal Service and continued working at USPS after moving to Los Angeles in 1977. Deborah had many positions at USPS and retired after 40 years of service as an Equal Employment Opportunity Analyst. She later performed as an independent contractor for the agency.
Deborah became a member of Crenshaw Church of Christ in 1978 where she served in the youth program and taught Sunday school for many years. She married Danny Robinson and had one child, Danielle Robinson, to whom she was a devoted mother.
In her adult years, her love of dance turned into a love of aerobics. She encouraged her co-workers to join her in a fitness program after work. At times, she was the only one to make it to the gym but that didn’t stop her. She remained dedicated to fitness for many years. However, her cheerleading skills were not forgotten. When her daughter wanted to follow in her footsteps and become a cheerleader in middle school, Deborah coached her and choreographed a winning routine that helped her daughter become captain of the cheerleading team.
Deborah kept in touch with many of her high school friends and looked forward to attending high school reunions. She eagerly anticipated attending Kashmere’s 55th High School Reunion with her daughter and sister, Roseleta Mitchell (2019 KFAA Ring of Honor Inductee), but God decided her journey was complete and called her to rest on May 31, 2024.
Her bright smile, zest for life, and love for God, family and friends will always be remembered and cherished in the hearts of so many.
