Barbara Ann Robbins "Mimi" McBride

Artist and Educator, Mimi Robbins McBride, 62, joined God in Heaven on Monday, November 9, 2015 at the St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana. Our beautiful, intelligent, talented, kind, sensitive, and spiritual loved one was with family when she died from pneumonia.

Born on July 31, 1953 in Devils Lake, North Dakota, Mimi demonstrated early her outstanding artistic abilities in graphic and performing arts. At the age of 12, she created and painted single handedly a full wall mural for the Great Falls East Junior High School. In high school, she was selected as a delegate to "Girls State" and toured eight European countries. Mimi was a member of her high school's most prestigious Delphian Choir.

Always a self-starter, Mimi sought and received a vocal scholarship to attend the University of Montana as a music major. She was a member of the Beta Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and later received another scholarship to attend the Arizona State University where she earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and Library Science and was selected as the librarian for the Salt River Day School in Gila River, Arizona. After working all day as a librarian, Mimi practiced with an all-Indian band in the evening; Mimi's students loved her because she was their librarian by day and a "reservation rock star" by night.

In addition to performing to 5, 000 participants at the National Indian Education Association's annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico and several other regional and national performances, she served as the lead singer, founder, and director of her own country band, "Desert Rose," and her rhythm and blues group "Mimi MCBride and Band". Mimi also worked with Tempe-based The Bilingual Center and later joined the staff of the National Indian Education Association's Project MEDIA, a federally funded program focusing on the eradication of racism and stereotyping.

Mimi earned two masters degrees; an M. Ed from the Arizona State University and an M.L.S. from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Again using her library science academic background, Mimi founded, established, and maintained the American Indian Library Materials Center at Hayden Library on ASU campus.

Because of funding that Mimi raised for the university, the American Indian collection later became known as the Labriola Center (named after the benefactors) and has become an integral part of the ASU Library and campus life.

In order to share both her artistic and educational dreams, Mimi formed her own organization, WorldViews International. She conceived and published a quarterly journal that contained reviews of American Indian media materials by American Indian professionals. Mimi published The American Indian Quarterly Review for over a decade and had subscribers from many major American higher education institutions and libraries. Mimi's for profit component of her organization saw the production of a contemporary Native American rock CD titled, You are you, that sold over 3, 000 copies.

At the time of her death, she was planning on moving into her home on Flathead Lake and continuing her songwriting, singing, and publishing career. Mimi had written several more songs that were intended for her next album, Butterfly. She is remembered by all as a beautiful, intelligent, caring, sensitive, versatile human being. Our love for her will never die.

Mimi was preceded in death by her father, Guy L. Robbins. Survivors include her mother, Arlene M. Robbins (Great Falls), sisters, Rebecca L. Robbins (Hot Springs) and Bonnie Jo Hunt (Albuquerque, NM), brothers, Guy "Bud" L. Robbins (Great Falls) and Kenneth E. Robbins (Phoenix, AZ). Mimi also leaves two nieces, Cara Moreno (Helena) and Ginger Robbins (Great Falls) and a nephew, Andrew Robbins (Fort Collins, Co).

Read Barbara Ann "Mimi" McBride's Obituary and Guestbook on www.groganfuneralhome.com.