Robbie
Robbie Gene Yates Kestner
Robbie Gene Yates Kestner, 72, of St. Charles, MO, died at her home on October 18, 2021.
Robbie was born in Anderson, IN and graduated from Madison Heights High School in 1967. She completed a Bachelor’s degree at Indiana University in Bloomington in 1971. During college, Robbie was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and served on the IU Student Foundation Little 500 Steering Committee in charge of the Fashion Show.
After college, Robbie worked as a Field Advisor for Alpha Chi Omega, a Special Events Coordinator for Blocks department store, and in the Indianapolis office of the IU Alumni Association.
Robbie married Louis Kestner on January 20, 1973. After having kids, Robbie worked as a full-time homemaker, where she excelled to the level of June Cleaver, but with the style & attitude of Gloria Steinem. She served in many volunteer positions, including Room Mother (for 4 kids in 4 different grades!), president of the PTA, Fernwood neighborhood trustee, and president of the neighborhood pool. Thanks to her incredible organization, fundraising, and event-planning skills, Robbie was able to keep Fernwood Pool open for many years past the depletion of neighborhood funds. She also worked part-time for St. Louis Business Health Coalition as the editor of their newsletter.
Robbie always put her family first and made many sacrifices for her kids. She hated tent camping, yet organized several camping trips each year so that her kids could grow up with their out-of-state cousins. She served homemade meals each night (and was referred to by many as the “Casserole Queen”), sewed & constructed Halloween costumes every year, made every birthday and holiday magical, and attended every swim meet, orchestra or choir concert, theater production, Culver Military Academy parade, and Kemper Military Academy Homecoming.
In addition to being an accomplished mother, wife, and homemaker, Robbie was the ultimate hostess and had an open-door policy for all neighbors and friends of her kids. Many wayward teens and young adults flocked to her loving, organized, comfortable home over the years. Those who stayed for several months at a time, she lovingly referred to as her “Basement Babies.”
Robbie was also a painter, writer, and poet; a seamstress, quilter, and interior designer; an archeologist, gardener, and bird watcher; a world traveler and RVer; a family historian and genealogist; a feminist; a comedian; a Wheel of Fortune junky and crossword-puzzle whiz. She will be remembered by all for her silliness, intelligence, generosity, thoughtfulness, and style. She was a kind-hearted smartass to the very end.
Robbie is survived by her husband of 48 years, Louis Frederick Kestner; her four children, Jami Kestner, Lindsay (Tim Woods) Kestner Woods, Tyler Kestner, and Abigail Kestner; her grandsons, Jack, Westerly, River, and Wylder; her blue, stuffed hippo, Pansy; her sister, Susan (Jon Wampler) Yates Wampler; her brother, John (Carol) Yates; her sisters-in-law, Mary Ann Kestner Zaban and Sally Kestner Halek; her brother-in-law, Nick Kestner, and many cherished cousins, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and -nephews.
Robbie was preceded in death by her parents, G. Eugene “Gene” Yates and Dorothy Mae Kiphart Yates; her parents-in-law, Elmer Nicholas Kestner, Jr. and Marjorie Elizabeth Miller Kestner; her brother-in-law, Jerry Halek; her sister-in-law, Katie Kestner; and her great-niece, Sydney Zaban.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for a Saturday in November 2021. Details to follow.
Memorial donations may be made to Louise’s Caring Hands, LLC (in-home caregivers) https://louisescaringhandsllc.com or StL Help (medical equipment lending program) https://www.stlhelp.org. Robbie’s family would like to thank Shay Lynch and Ana Leon from Louise’s Caring Hands for the loving care they provided to Robbie during her final months. They would also like to thank family, friends, and Bellerive/Fernwood neighbors for their love and support over the years and especially in the last couple months.
“Lou, you’re a horse’s ass.” -- Robbie (lovingly, of course)
Robbie was born in Anderson, IN and graduated from Madison Heights High School in 1967. She completed a Bachelor’s degree at Indiana University in Bloomington in 1971. During college, Robbie was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and served on the IU Student Foundation Little 500 Steering Committee in charge of the Fashion Show.
After college, Robbie worked as a Field Advisor for Alpha Chi Omega, a Special Events Coordinator for Blocks department store, and in the Indianapolis office of the IU Alumni Association.
Robbie married Louis Kestner on January 20, 1973. After having kids, Robbie worked as a full-time homemaker, where she excelled to the level of June Cleaver, but with the style & attitude of Gloria Steinem. She served in many volunteer positions, including Room Mother (for 4 kids in 4 different grades!), president of the PTA, Fernwood neighborhood trustee, and president of the neighborhood pool. Thanks to her incredible organization, fundraising, and event-planning skills, Robbie was able to keep Fernwood Pool open for many years past the depletion of neighborhood funds. She also worked part-time for St. Louis Business Health Coalition as the editor of their newsletter.
Robbie always put her family first and made many sacrifices for her kids. She hated tent camping, yet organized several camping trips each year so that her kids could grow up with their out-of-state cousins. She served homemade meals each night (and was referred to by many as the “Casserole Queen”), sewed & constructed Halloween costumes every year, made every birthday and holiday magical, and attended every swim meet, orchestra or choir concert, theater production, Culver Military Academy parade, and Kemper Military Academy Homecoming.
In addition to being an accomplished mother, wife, and homemaker, Robbie was the ultimate hostess and had an open-door policy for all neighbors and friends of her kids. Many wayward teens and young adults flocked to her loving, organized, comfortable home over the years. Those who stayed for several months at a time, she lovingly referred to as her “Basement Babies.”
Robbie was also a painter, writer, and poet; a seamstress, quilter, and interior designer; an archeologist, gardener, and bird watcher; a world traveler and RVer; a family historian and genealogist; a feminist; a comedian; a Wheel of Fortune junky and crossword-puzzle whiz. She will be remembered by all for her silliness, intelligence, generosity, thoughtfulness, and style. She was a kind-hearted smartass to the very end.
Robbie is survived by her husband of 48 years, Louis Frederick Kestner; her four children, Jami Kestner, Lindsay (Tim Woods) Kestner Woods, Tyler Kestner, and Abigail Kestner; her grandsons, Jack, Westerly, River, and Wylder; her blue, stuffed hippo, Pansy; her sister, Susan (Jon Wampler) Yates Wampler; her brother, John (Carol) Yates; her sisters-in-law, Mary Ann Kestner Zaban and Sally Kestner Halek; her brother-in-law, Nick Kestner, and many cherished cousins, nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and -nephews.
Robbie was preceded in death by her parents, G. Eugene “Gene” Yates and Dorothy Mae Kiphart Yates; her parents-in-law, Elmer Nicholas Kestner, Jr. and Marjorie Elizabeth Miller Kestner; her brother-in-law, Jerry Halek; her sister-in-law, Katie Kestner; and her great-niece, Sydney Zaban.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for a Saturday in November 2021. Details to follow.
Memorial donations may be made to Louise’s Caring Hands, LLC (in-home caregivers) https://louisescaringhandsllc.com or StL Help (medical equipment lending program) https://www.stlhelp.org. Robbie’s family would like to thank Shay Lynch and Ana Leon from Louise’s Caring Hands for the loving care they provided to Robbie during her final months. They would also like to thank family, friends, and Bellerive/Fernwood neighbors for their love and support over the years and especially in the last couple months.
“Lou, you’re a horse’s ass.” -- Robbie (lovingly, of course)
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Robbie Gene Yates Kestner, please visit our flower store.
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