Lucia Panuncio Robison

Lucia Maria Panuncio Robison, 97 years old, died on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Lucia lived many years in Silver Spring, Maryland, moving to Frederick, Maryland in 2013 before moving to Harrisonburg.

She was born on May 27, 1927, to Flaviano Alfonso Panuncio and Rosa Pappalardo in Rosario, Argentina. The family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina when Lucia was seventeen. Lucia immigrated by herself to the United States in 1953, traveling on a banana boat from Brazil. She attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she met her eternal companion, W. Gerald Robison, Jr. of Carmel, California. After a short courtship, they married on September 20, 1957, in the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While Gerry proceeded to complete many more years of schooling to earn his Ph.D., Lucia found ways to stretch the dollar while their family grew to include four children. Thanks to her excellent seamstress skills and cooking skills, the family was always dressed well and fed well. Over the years, she used her talents in service, sewing countless sock dolls for church bazaars, altering many wedding gowns, sewing specialized clothing for the disabled, and outfitting many newborns with her beautiful, hand knit sweaters and booties. She continued to provide knitted clothing for grandchildren and great-grandchildren until her sight became too poor to continue. She provided meals for the many visitors that she loved to host as they passed through their home.

Family was of utmost importance to Lucia, and she kept in touch with family far, as well as near. When circumstances allowed, she would visit Argentina to see her many relatives there. She loved gathering gifts of all kinds to take with her to give to her family members there.

Lucia demonstrated her devotion to the Lord by teaching her children the gospel, and being an example by serving in many positions at church. One of her favorite jobs was teaching the 3-year-olds in primary, as she enjoyed younger children and found their antics entertaining. She loved going to the temple regularly, and especially found peace there after her husband passed away.

She is preceded in death by her four brothers and her husband, W. Gerald Robison, Jr. She is survived by her four children: Sylvia Aamodt (Leonard) of Harrisonburg, Virginia; Stanley Robison (Donna) of Frederick, Maryland; Nancy Jackson (John) of San Jose, California; Lydia Gettys (Paul) of Ijamsville, Maryland; 19 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 1 at 3pm (with family visitation at 2pm) at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 199 North Place, Frederick. For those who cannot attend, there is a Zoom link https://zoom.us/j/94459569849

Burial will take place on Sunday, March 2 at 11:30am at Parklawn Memorial Park and Menorah Gardens, 12800 Viers Mill Road, Rockville, Maryland.

Friends and loved ones are welcome to donate to the Gerald Robison Young Investigator Travel Award, administered by the National Foundation for Eye Research (NFER). Funds can be mailed to the National Foundation for Eye Research, 71 NH-104 Unit 4 PMB 204, Meredith, NH 03253 and mark them “Gerald Robison Young Investigator Award.” Alternatively, donations can be made through the NFER website https://cataractresearch.org/donations-2/ . Donations are tax deductible.