Judith A. Robinson

Judi Robinson passed away peacefully on May 18, 2026 at the age of 86, with her devoted husband, Omar, by her side. Her long battle with congestive heart failure and Type 2 diabetes came to an end at St. Vincent hospital in Indianapolis, after a life defined by humor, resilience and adventure.

Born Judith Ann Pietrobon on August 23, 1939 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Judi spent her early years moving with her family from Miami, Florida to Indianapolis, where Judi graduated from Shortridge High School.

Judi worked at Y&B Industrial Painting in Indianapolis. Located across the street from Iaria's Italian Restaurant, the restaurant's owners practically helped raise her, feeding her every day. As a one-woman office team, Judi became known for her hard work and, perhaps most memorably, for wrecking her boss's brand-new Mustang.

During those years, Judi met Omar Robinson while he was campaigning for Barry Goldwater's presidential run. She gave Omar her last dollar and eventually her heart. Family lore maintains that Omar postponed their wedding three times, yet the two did indeed marry on September 16, 1967 and spent more than six decades sharing both literal and figurative adventures.

The happy couple brought two additional entrepreneurs into this world, Ramonna and Clay, and Judi took enormous pride in watching them grow from adventurous kids into successful adults.

As the wife of a serial entrepreneur who caught the bug herself, Judi owned and operated Rainbow Balloons and Tanning in the mid-to late-1980s, helping people celebrate their joyous occasions – and look good while doing it.

Throughout their years together, Judi supported Omar during his entrepreneurial ups and downs. And when Omar and Clay launched Sun King Brewery alongside Dave Colt, Andy Fagg and Steve Koers, Judi found a new calling in the brewery's earliest days, serving as part bouncer, part sign maker and part merchandise manager.

Judi approached life with equal parts strategy and mischief. She was an avid card player and devoted Rummikub competitor, famous for the homemade card holders that kept her hand organized while she plotted how to beat you. Her legendary April Fool's Day rivalry with her niece, Missy, became the stuff of family legend – complete with marching bands in front yards, fake garage sales ("Come Early!") and forged government documents.

She also loved fishing, which often influenced the lakeside homes she and Omar chose over the years. She adored the many family dogs they raised together (nearly 30 over the course of their marriage, including litters of 10 and 16 puppies). One favorite memory is of Judi "walking" Skye around their Greenwood, Indiana property from the seat of her golf cart.

Judi had a flair for standing out. From her signature eyeglass charms to her collection of ring watches, she embraced the delightfully unexpected. Perhaps her most remarkable talent, however, was that she was the only person in America who could actually fold a fitted bedsheet into a perfectly flat square, a feat her niece and nephew thankfully captured on video.

No telling of Judi's life would be complete without mentioning her years at Voyager RV Resort, where she and Omar built cherished friendships and where Judi enthusiastically took part in activities ranging from tap dancing to drum circles.

"Mimi" loved her grandchildren, and in April 2026, despite significant pain and mobility challenges, Judi made the trip to Sarasota, Florida to see her granddaughter, Zaya, in her circus performance and to hug her three grandchildren one more time.

Judi is survived by her loving husband and pillar of support, Omar; daughter Ramonna (Jim Licko); son Clay (Staraya); and grandchildren Zaya, Levin and Ember.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Thelma and Attil "Pete" Pietrobon; her older brother, Lee Pietrobon; and her sister-in-law, Peggy "Joann" Pietrobon.

A Celebration of Life will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with remarks at 4 p.m. at Sun King Brewery in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, August 22, 2026, near what would have been Judi's 87th birthday and just weeks before her and Omar's 59th wedding anniversary.

Memorial contributions may be made in Judi’s honor to the Hearing Aid Project, a program of Sertoma (https://secure.givelively.org/donate/sertoma-inc/hearing-aid-project); the Community Chest, which supports breast cancer patients and research (https://www.wfco.org/giving/community-chest); and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospita (https://www.stjude.org).