Remembering Siobhan

It is with deep love, tender hearts that we remember our cherished co-founder, mentor, and friend, Siobhan Robinsong
(June 5, 1950 – August 23, 2026)

Siobhan’s spirit is woven into the very roots of Hollyhock.

Siobhan moved to Cortes Island with her first baby and then-husband Lee Robinsong in 1980. In 1981, when Rex Weyler first came to Cortes Island, he stayed with the couple. Walking the land together, they came upon the old Cold Mountain property.  It was Siobhan who first spotted the vibrant crimson hollyhocks blooming over a hedge- a potent sign that soon led to their co-founding the community that became known as Hollyhock. The accommodation known today as Beach House was Siobhan and Lee’s family home with their daughters Erin and Kaeli, and over the decades, Siobhan’s presence became part of the fabric of this place, bringing song, joy and generosity to the Hollyhock community.

Growing up in an intensely musical family, Siobhan had once thought of herself as the “unmusical one.” At Hollyhock, through the early Singing for Everyone workshops and the teachers who followed, something opened. Siobhan discovered her instrument: her own voice. In a reflection she wrote for Hollyhock in 2018, Siobhan described singing as “an ancient form of technology that creates joy and connection.” She understood song as more than music. It was a way of bringing people back to one another, building courage, and strengthening community.

Beyond our shores, Siobhan taught the world that singing together is not a privilege for the few, but our collective birthright. Through the Gettin’ Higher Choir and Community Choir Leadership Training, she touched tens of thousands of lives across the globe. She empowered everyday people to lead, planting her legendary vision that everyone on Earth should live close enough to walk to a community choir. Because of her, voices have risen at bedsides, rallies, vigils, and campfires, carrying comfort and courage wherever it was needed most.

Siobhan always wanted each of us to have a transformative experience here on Cortes and leave with a song in our hearts. It feels especially fitting that, as Siobhan’s family gathered around her in these tender final days, they sang together. Here at Hollyhock, we also sang – last Friday, community members gathered in the Sanctuary to help sing her home, and as they sang, there were moments when the song suddenly became stronger – and Siobhan’s presence was clearly felt.

Today, as we wrap her partner Bill, her daughters Erin and Kaeli, her extended family, and our entire global community in warmth, we honour the extraordinary harmony she brought into our lives.

There is far more to Siobhan’s life and her contribution to Hollyhock than we could possibly hold in one message. This is the beginning of a longer story of remembering.  Over the coming year, we will share more of Siobhan’s story, photographs and memories from across the decades, and the voices of the many people whose lives she touched.  

Watch the tribute to Siobhan by Bill Weaver

Share your stories with us
Perhaps you sang with Siobhan. Perhaps you shared a meal, a workshop, a conversation, or a walk on the land. Perhaps there is a story about Siobhan you have carried for many years. We invite you to share those memories with us as we begin gathering the stories of this remarkable member of the Hollyhock community. In her own words: “I raise my voice in praise of song.” May we keep raising ours.

If you have a memory of Siobhan that you would like to share, we’d love to hear from you, please email: [email protected]

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, August 28. For more information, please see the Cortes Island Tideline.