Robin E. Pegues

b. 12 January 1923, d. 20 September 1992
  • Robin E. Pegues was born on 12 January 1923 in Dallas, Texas, at Baylor Hospital.
  • Calvin William Pegues and Eileen Bell appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1930 in Odessa, Ector County, Texas, at Jackson Avenue. Other members of the household included Robin E. Pegues, Calvin William Pegues Jr.
  • Calvin William Pegues and Eileen Bell appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1940 in Odessa, Ector County, Texas, at 1821 North Lincoln Avenue. Other members of the household included Robin E. Pegues, Calvin William Pegues Jr. Noted that son Calvin is absent from the household, likely attending college.
  • The following appeared on 20 July 1964 in The San Diego Union: Military graveside services for Calvin W. Pegues Jr., 43, of 2553 Albatross St., will be held at 9:20 a.m. today in Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery. Greenwood Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
         Pegues, a San Diego Transit System bus driver for 18 years, died Wednesday in a hospital. He was a pharmacist's mate in the Navy during World War II.
         Survivors are his father, Calvin W. Sr; his mother, Mrs. Eileen Pegues, and two sisters, Mrs. Robin Roberts and Mrs. Jo Robbins, all of San Diego.
  • The following appeared on 15 June 1966 in The San Diego Union: [Died] Calvin W. Pegues. Father of Mrs. Robin Roberts and Mrs. Josephine Robbins. Brother of Ola Strain, Henry and Mike Pegues. 2 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren. Graveside services and interment Fri. 11 a.m. Greenwood Memorial Park.
  • The following appeared on 17 June 1966 in The San Diego Union: Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. today in Greenwood Memorial Park for Calvin W. Pegues, 66, of 6119 Wunderlin Ave., a 45-year [sic] San Diego Resident who died in a hospital Monday.
         Pegues was born in Texas. He was a bookkeeper for an El Cajon machine manufacturing company 40 years. Pegues was an Army veteran of World War I.
         Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Josephine Robbins and Mrs. Robin Roberts, both of San Diego; two brothers; a sister; two grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Greenwood Mortuary is in charge.
  • Robin E. Pegues died on 20 September 1992 at age 69 in Lemon Grove, San Diego County, California, at her residence.
  • The following appeared on 1 October 1992 in The San Diego Union-Tribune: Robin Roberts, a self-described maverick who cruised San Diego in a cab with an ocelot riding shotgun in the 1970s, died of cancer on Sept. 20 at her Lemon Grove home. She was 69.
         A native of Texas, Mrs. Roberts changed from cap and gown into a wedding dress and swapped Texas for California the day she graduated from high school in 1941.
         Her first job in San Diego was on an aircraft assembly line at Convair during World War II. Later, she worked at Ryan. On her off hours, Mrs. Roberts took a job driving the old San Diego Trolley until the buses came on line six months later.
         After the war she quit her job building aircraft and continued to drive a city bus for the next six years. She also worked as a waitress at a German restaurant in La Jolla, a job she held for 10 years.
         In the late 1950s, Mrs. Roberts worked for Seaforth Co., running the galley on one of the sports fishing boats. She bought her own commercial fishing boat called the "Bobin Robin" in the early 1960s. She kept the boat for three years, until one day when a DC-3 caught her fancy and she managed to swing a deal -- her boat for the airplane.
         On her first flight to Arizona in 1962, the plane's engine developed problems shortly after takeoff. She turned around and requested landing instructions at Lindbergh Field. Her request was denied. She landed the plane anyway, walked out of the cockpit and never returned to collect her plane.
         Instead, Mrs. Roberts went to Africa on safari.
         When she returned to San Diego, she was hired in the mid-1960s as one of the first women drivers for Yellow Cab Co. She drove for that company for 12 years, leaving to drive her own cab, which she called Robin's Nest.
         Six years before she got her own cab, a friend gave her an ocelot. She named her cat Tisha and occasionally took it with her in her cab at nights. She owned Tisha for 14 years, until the cat died in 1985. Mrs. Roberts retired the following year.
         "Sure it was illegal to own an ocelot, but my mom didn't follow very many rules in life, she just enjoyed herself and never hurt anybody," said her daughter, Robbie Davis of Lemon Grove. "She was a one-of-a-kind person."
         Besides Davis, Mrs. Roberts is also survived by a second daughter, Linda Dawson of East San Diego; a sister, Josephine P. Robbins of El Cajon; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
         A family memorial service will be held Oct. 4 and her ashes will be scattered at sea.
         The family suggests contributions to any organization that works to save wild animals.
  • Last Edited: 8 Apr 2015