Glenna J. Robinson, a woman known for her strength, sass, humor, and unwavering love, passed away peacefully on May 15, 2025, at the age of 87. She was feisty, caring, friendly, warm, and absolutely hilarious—someone who could make you laugh in the hardest moments and offer truth with just the right amount of bite.

Glenna was born in Wabash, Indiana, and grew up in Huntertown as the second oldest of eight children. From an early age, she understood the value of hard work. She helped with many household chores and took on small jobs to earn her own money; she had a paper route at age 9, and even helped her brothers dig graves at the local cemetery for mere pennies. These early experiences shaped her grit, her resourcefulness, and the work ethic she carried through the rest of her life.

She graduated from Huntertown High School in 1956 and completed beauty school the following year. She worked for three years at Hilda's Beauty Shop and had two children before moving to Chicago, where she would live for about 13 years. During that time, she had four more children and built a life with limited means but lots of love. It was in Chicago that she met her lifelong friend Margie—they were neighbors who quickly became like family. They didn't have much, but those years were filled with laughter, strong friendships, and happy memories.

Eventually, Glenna returned to Indiana, raising her six children as a single mother in Fort Wayne. She worked two full-time jobs, clocking in 80 hours a week to support her family. She later worked in the kitchen at Parkview Hospital, where she remained for over 20 years before retiring. After retirement, she moved to Churubusco, then back to Fort Wayne, and finally to Park Place Assisted Living, where she spent the last years of her life surrounded by dear friends and staff who quickly became extended family.

Glenna was a walking contradiction in the best way possible. She was warm and welcoming, known as the grandmother who made the best chocolate chip cookies, but she also had a no-nonsense attitude that could rival any mafia boss. She believed deeply in fairness and enjoyed seeing street justice being served. She didn't care about status or appearances. She rooted for the underdog, even when they let her down time and time again. Maybe that's why people gravitated toward her. She saw people for who they were, flaws and all. And she loved them anyway.

She had no patience for bravado or arrogance. If you thought you were better than someone else, she'd snap you back to reality with a one-liner that would cut you to the core. She mocked pretentiousness and valued honesty, hard work, and accountability. If you had an easy life and found success, she'd say, "Big whoop." But if you owned your mistakes and kept going, that's what earned her respect.

Her family called her the Queen Bee—the matriarch who was everything to them. Her children even celebrated her on Father's Day because she filled both roles with fierce love, humor, and grit. Glenna made friends wherever she went—at work, in her neighborhood, and eventually at Park Place, where she might as well have been Homecoming Queen. People were drawn to her strength, humor, and generosity of spirit.

Glenna lived through more loss than any one person should have to endure, including the deaths of her sons Karl Carpenter Sr., Kevin Carpenter Sr., and her grandson Joshua Darling, granddaughter Jasmine Fee, and grandson Karl Carpenter Jr. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Bertha Lewis; her sisters Loretta Pedigo and Bettie Beagan; and her brothers Stewart Lewis and David Lewis.

Still, she showed up for others and never lost her sense of humor or her sense of purpose. She believed you get through life's hardest moments by keeping your family close, laughing with your friends, and staying busy with the things that bring you joy.

She was always creating something. Glenna loved crafts and was rarely seen sitting still. Crocheting was one of her greatest joys, and she loved gifting her handmade baby blankets, dish towels, scrubbies, and more. Glenna was famous for her classic chocolate chip cookies and her delicious fruit cakes. She treated cooking like an Olympic sport, and she played to win. If she tasted a recipe that was better than hers, her face would go from confusion, to defeat, to pure determination. Being known as a great cook was one of her proudest accomplishments. One time, the culinary staff at Park Place attempted to replicate one of her soup recipes. She had been talking it up to the residents for days, only to find their version didn't live up to her standards. She couldn't rest until her reputation was restored.

Glenna took her passion for food seriously and even served on a resident committee to help improve the menu at Park Place. When she wasn't crafting or cooking, she was fiercely playing Rummikub. While in the hospital, she once told her granddaughter, "I've gotta get back to Park Place. Those ladies won't even know how to play Rummikub without me! I taught them everything they know!"

She was a longtime member of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church in Albion, Indiana, and her faith remained a quiet, steady presence in her life. She leaned on it through her hardest moments but never used it as a pedestal. She had no patience for people who used religion to judge others or act superior. She especially didn't understand how anyone could use God to defend bigotry or justify hatred. As she often said, "Some people must read a different Bible than the one I have."

Glenna is survived by her children Kimberly (Jose) Rosario, Karen (Mark) Spillson, Keith Carpenter, and Kent Carpenter; her brother Bill (Sue) Lewis; her brother Larry "Smoke" Lewis; and her sister Shirley Lewis. She is also survived by 15 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Glenna faced both joy and heartbreak with honesty and determination, and her legacy will live on in the strength, laughter, and love that she passed down to everyone who knew her.

When asked what words of wisdom she'd want to leave behind, she said:
"Never give up. God will stand beside you through thick and thin. Take care of your parents when they get older. Appreciate your family while you have them. And when life throws you for a loop, tell yourself, 'Keep going! You're almost there.'"