Robyn E Buseman

Robyn E. Buseman, 68, of Plymouth Meeting, PA, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family on December 29, 2022, following an eight-month journey with metastatic urothelial cancer.

Robyn was born on January 19, 1954, to Richard and Rose Buseman in Long Beach, CA. From family camping trips in Yosemite to hanging out at Seal Beach with friends to her many adventures tagging along with her brother, Bill, Robyn enjoyed her childhood in Southern California. As she saw the world changing around her in the 60s and 70s, Robyn experienced a greater awareness of social injustice and the seeds of her political and social activism were planted.

Bored at school and with enough credits, Robyn graduated a semester early from Lakewood High School in January 1972. She started at University of California, Berkeley but later dropped out after her Criminology major was discontinued. Needing to support herself, she landed a union job at the Union Oil Refinery, where she was part of the first group of women to work in this role. Around this time, Robyn met John Williams, and in 1977, she gave birth to their first child, Maya. Eventually, Robyn and John decided to move back to John’s hometown, West Chester, PA. Although a free-spirited southern California gal at heart, Robyn embraced West Chester life and put down roots. They went on to purchase a home in the borough within walking distance of three generations of John’s family and have two more daughters, Janine and Anna.

After spending her girls’ early years as a stay at home Mom, Robyn decided it was time to complete her degree and become a working Mom. In 1985, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at West Chester University and soon embarked on an over 30 year career serving the community. She started as a Juvenile Probation Officer for Chester County and then moved over to VisionQuest, an alternative detention center, as Shelter Director. While still working full-time, she returned to school on weekends to earn a Master’s degree in Administration of Justice from Shippensburg University in 1993. This degree enabled her to transition to St. Gabriel’s Hall, a residential facility for court adjudicated delinquent males. At St. Gabe’s, she combined her passions for gardening and criminal justice to develop the Mitchell Program, an agricultural-based program designed to develop empathy and skills with the population. After 10 years at St. Gabe’s, Robyn moved on to the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia, where she remained until her retirement in 2018. At Mural Arts, she served as Restorative Justice Program Director, developing programs for youth and adults involved in the criminal justice system using art as the medium. She was distinctly proud of her work originating and launching The Guild, a unique reentry and probation services development program.

Retirement did not slow Robyn down. In addition to periodically consulting for Mural Arts, she added the role of Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Temple University. She appreciated being able to share her real world experiences with students. However, she spent most of her retirement doing the three things she enjoyed most: traveling, gardening, and spending time with her grandkids. From India to Tanzania to an epic three-month RV trip visiting national parks, Robyn was always on the go, most often with her partner, Mark. When at home, she transformed their yard into an Audubon-certified Bird-Friendly Habitat full of native plants. She fully relished in her long-awaited role as grandma and took every opportunity to indulge her grandkids.

Strong-willed and stubborn, yet soft-hearted and caring, Robyn applied artful grace to illuminate the lives of many. In freely sharing her passions, she inspired others to look beyond their immediate condition and seek greater knowledge of the world. She will be remembered for her commitment to justice, passion for nature and love for her family.

In addition to her parents, Robyn was preceded in death by her daughter, Maya Buseman-Williams and sister, Eileen Buseman. She is survived by her partner, Mark Kreider; daughters, Janine Cain (Sam) and Anna Witherspoon (Ben); grandchildren, Samaya Cain, Samuel Cain and Emery Witherspoon; brothers Mike Buseman and Bill Buseman (Lisa); nieces Tracy Buseman-Carlstrom (Andrew) and Lexie Andre-Buseman; nephew Mike Buseman and a host of beloved friends and colleagues.

A celebration of Robyn’s life will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Road, Media, PA. Relatives and friends are welcome to gather with the family at 10:00 AM for fellowship. In lieu of flowers, Robyn requested that a donation be made to your favorite charity or a native tree planted.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cremationofpennsylvania.com/location/king-of-prussia-pa for the Buseman family.