The sudden and devastating death of a much-loved Ballarat woman with a "heart of gold" has left a hole that will never be filled.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Robyn Lipscombe, 71, was driving home after buying some groceries about 11.50am on May 20.
She was pulling out of Arthur Street onto Learmonth Street when a man driving a black Holden Commodore sedan allegedly collided with her grey Mazda.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services who worked on her for about an hour, Robyn - who was known, admired and loved by many - died at the scene.
Though her heartbroken family want her to be remembered for the person she was during her life - a beloved wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunty, nanna, friend and neighbour.
Many words have been used to describe the incredible person Robyn was and how cherished she was by all who knew her.
Her family describes her as having a very caring nature and as being warm, kind and gentle.
Robyn was the first born twin to Mavis and Edwin Skippage on March 25, 1950. Her identical twin, Jennifer, was born 15 minutes later.
Along with older sister Elizabeth, the twins enjoyed a happy childhood growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Iris.
After leaving school, Robyn attended business college before entering the workforce as a private secretary.
It was 52 years ago that Robyn attended a dance at Albert Park Lake, where she was swept off her feet after meeting the love of her life, Stephen, for the first time.
"We hit it off straight away," Stephen recalled.
The couple married in 1973 and went on to purchase a home in Forest Hill, before their first child, Scott, was born.
Stephen's job as a bank manager then took the family to western Victoria. It saw the family relocate to Ararat and then Heywood, with second child Kate born in 1983.
During the years afterwards, Stephen's job took the family to Swan Hill, Manangatang, Warracknabeal and Portland.
While the young family had moved frequently, Robyn always took care to make every house they lived in a home.
About twenty years ago they moved to Stephen's hometown of Ballarat, where they lived ever since.
A bright, friendly and approachable person with a 'beautiful smile' and contagious laugh, Robyn was known to spark conversations with strangers and easily formed connections and friendships - even in the smallest and most remote of towns.
"Everywhere she went, she immersed herself in the community," Stephen said.
Everywhere she went, she immersed herself in the community
- Stephen
While she had worked in various accounting firms throughout her career, after Scott's birth she dedicated herself to her newfound role as a mother.
She volunteered her time at her childrens' schools - helping in classrooms and with reading recovery programs, baking for cake stalls, sitting through parents' meetings and as the head of the Mothers' Day craft stall, around which time the house would be covered in projects she was creating - and ferried the two around to extra curricular activities.
While living in Manangatang Robyn began playing golf, a hobby she continued to enjoy after moving to Ballarat. Aside from the sport, she also enjoyed the social side. Robyn was also a valued member of Probus.
With such varied community involvement, Robyn developed a vast network of friends from a cross section of places throughout her life. She remained in regular contact with many of these friends, even those who lived hours away, by writing cards and letters and with telephone calls.
Always thoughtful, Robyn emanated kindness and had a gift for making people feel special. She always had time for a cuppa and was a passionate conversationalist.
One of her favourite topics of conversation was boasting about her children and her five grandchildren - Tayla, Harrison, William, Nicholas and Olivia - constantly sharing new achievements and developments in their lives with others.
She was also a very compassionate and considerate person. Robyn genuinely cared about other people and would selflessly take it upon herself to help others.
"She would never hesitate to help a friend or family member in need - by cooking, shopping or cleaning," Scott said.
Her cooking skills were most valued by her family and friends. Her baked treats, lasagnas, roasts and Christmas lunches frequently brought her family and friends together with love and laughter.
She would never hesitate to help a friend or family member in need
- Scott
According to Kate, one of her mum's more famous dishes was her muesli slice, which everyone always wanted a piece of.
Her chutney, meanwhile, became a sought-after commodity relished by family and friends who would receive a jar.
Robyn enjoyed sharing her skills in the kitchen during 'nanna days' with her grandchildren, as well as taking them on special outings for lunch, to the park or to the movies.
"The kids loved those little adventures," Kate said, adding her children adored spending time with their grandparents. "On holidays they would go for sleepovers or spend days there too."
Reading stories with nanna was also a highlight, Scott added, especially as they were always treated to not just one, but several enthusiastically read stories.
While Robyn touched the lives of all who knew her, she had a particularly special bond with her husband of almost 50 years.
Always in each other's company, the pair grew to learn what the other was thinking during their decades together. They shared a wonderful partnership, learnt from each other, relaxed on holidays both in Australia and abroad and shared countless precious memories.
Their personalities truly complemented each other and their deep love was evident to all who knew them.
"We had a lovely relationship. I was very fortunate," Stephen said.
Whether a moment to be celebrated or a hurdle to overcome, Robyn always reminded her family to care for each other and hold each other close.
While the way she was taken from the world was a shock, is deeply painful for her loved ones and she will be greatly missed, the strong, respectful and loving family unit she fostered has allowed her family to lean on each other for support during the last few weeks, to come to terms with what occurred.
The family is deeply appreciative of the emergency service personnel who attended the scene on the day and for the support of the community, flowers laid and sentiments shared since.
A 32-year-old man was charged with a string of 11 offences following the crash, including culpable driving and dangerous driving causing death. He remains in custody and is due to appear in court again in October.