Julie Ann Robinson, an accomplished interior designer and beloved mother, wife, sister, aunt, cousin, and boss, passed away peacefully at home in West Tisbury on Oct. 7, 2026, surrounded by loved ones, after a short yet courageous battle with ALS and frontotemporal dementia. She was 78.
Julie lived what could have been several lifetimes. Raised in an upper-middle-class New York household, she went on to sail around the world with a free-spirited anarchist, living off the land and sea, before raising her family and establishing a business on Martha’s Vineyard.
Born in Manhattan on March 21, 1948, to Eugenie and Benjamin Robinson, Julie was the youngest of four children, and grew up in White Plains, N.Y. She attended the Barlow School, Lasell Junior College, and the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles, where she studied photography.
In 1976, newly divorced and at a crossroads, Julie arrived on Martha’s Vineyard in a Morgan sports car, returning to an Island she had known since childhood summers. Encouraged by her sister-in-law, Ingrid Robinson, she chose adventure over returning to New York. In Santa Barbara, she met Dennis White. Together, they embarked on an eight-year voyage aboard the Emma Goldman, a 28-foot Herreshoff ketch, and supported themselves through carpentry, sail repairs, and canvas work, drawing on sewing skills Julie had learned in childhood lessons arranged by her mother.
Their first son, Sasha, was born in Australia in 1981. Three years later, their second son, Joshua, was conceived near Sri Lanka. Following pregnancy complications in South Africa, Julie flew to Barbados to give birth and to care for her mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease. Dennis made the 56-day Atlantic crossing to reunite with her.
Back on Martha’s Vineyard, they spent six years building a new, 41-foot Emma Goldman, aboard which they homeschooled their sons and continued sailing for two winters.
In 1987, Julie founded the Canvas Co., which evolved into Julie Robinson Interiors. Her artistic eye, attention to detail, and lasting client relationships made her one of the Island’s premier interior designers, earning multiple “Best of the Vineyard” awards.
A survivor of Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2008, Julie maintained her beautiful smile, warmth, energy, and positive attitude through life’s challenges. She appreciated both the finest comforts and the rugged simplicity of life at sea, always valuing relationships above all else.
Julie was predeceased by her husband, Dennis White, and parents, Eugenie and Benjamin Robinson. She is survived by her sons, Sasha and Joshua Robinson-White; daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Rothwell; sister, Toni Robinson, and her husband, Michael; brother, John Robinson, and his wife, Fredelle; brother, Jeffrey Robinson, and his wife, Dtai; cousin, John Robinson, and his wife, Lupi; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.
A celebration of Julie’s life will be held on Nov. 8, from 2 to 5 pm, at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to VNA of Cape Cod Hospice (email giving@capecodhealth.org for details), whose compassionate staff cared for both Julie and Dennis.
