MaryEllen Ibarra-Robinson passed away peacefully at home on September 4th, 2026, after a courageous 2-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born to Hector Manuel and Phyllis Ibarra on December 5, 1953 in Powell, Wyoming.

She attended her schooling in Powell, graduating from Powell High School in 1971 as a member of the National Honor Society. She graduated in 1973 from Northwest College, receiving an Associate of Arts in Spanish before earning Bachelor and Master degrees in Spanish from the University of Wyoming in 1975 and 1977 respectively.

In 1979, she married Earl Robinson, from Morganton, North Carolina while they were both enrolled in Masters programs at the University of Wyoming. They lived short stints in North Carolina and Texas before settling in Powell where MaryEllen took a teaching position at Northwest College and Earl began his own construction company, Robinson Construction. 

Their son, Carey, was born in 1990 and their son, Brooks, was born in 1991. 

MaryEllen enjoyed a 30+ years career as a professor of Spanish at Northwest College. During this time, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year and served a 2-year term as President of WFLTA - Wyoming Foreign Language Teacher Association. A popular and dedicated instructor, MaryEllen accompanied numerous students on several study abroad programs which took them to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain. A number of her students went on to teach Spanish at the high school and college levels.

MaryEllen enjoyed cooking and baking, sharing her delicious creations with others. Her home was always open to numerous foreign exchange students from Northwest College, especially during holidays. She was well abreast of political issues and supported various campaigns.

She was an advocate for migrant workers and marginal populations. MaryEllen’s Catholic faith was a significant part of her life and she remained true to it up to the end.

MaryEllen is survived by her husband Earl and her son Brooks. She is also survived by her mother, Phyllis; siblings Blanche (Steve) of Ft. Lupton, CO; Mario (Troy) of Green Valley, AZ; Susan of Laramie, WY; Dian (Chad) of Billings, MT; Hector Manuel (Sonja) of Mesa AZ; and David (Tracy) of Ft. Collins, CO. She is also survived by brother-in-law, Armando Quiroz of Denver, CO and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father, Manuel, sister, Irene, and infant son, Carey.

A funeral service will be held on September 9th, 2026 at 10:00 AM at St. Barbara’s Catholic Church in Powell