Reprinted with permission of the Albuquerque Journal
Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Helping People Was Insurance Official's Passion

By Charlotte Balcomb Lane
Journal Staff Writer
Christine Robens-Ning, who was diagnosed with cancer in December, died of the disease at her Albuquerque home Sunday. It was her 54th birthday.
The day before she died, her family had thrown a birthday party and sung "Happy Birthday" to her, said her husband, Jimmy Ning. Her family was with her when she died.
"She was the love of my life. She was the light on my path," said Ning, who had nursed Robens-Ning during her illness.
The couple had been married since 1984. It was the second marriage for both.
Until her diagnosis, Robens-Ning had been the vice president of operations at the Manuel Lujan Agencies, where she had worked for 26 years. She began as a claims processor, said her co-worker Glenda Miller.
Robens-Ning excelled at her job and quickly moved up in the organization, becoming a certified insurance counselor and heading the accounting department.
While she was with the insurance agency, the company grew from 20 employees to more than 100. As chief operating officer, she was in charge of all the agency's operations, including human resources, said Larry Lujan, president and CEO of the Manuel Lujan Agencies.
Lujan called Robens-Ning "irreplaceable."
"She had time to help everybody else. She had a passion for helping others," Lujan said.
Ning called his wife "peaceful, calm and patient" even when she was in terrible pain.
"There was not a mean bone in her body," Ning said.
Robens-Ning was also a dedicated supporter of the arts and was a charter member of the Leadership Team for the Popejoy Hall Ovation Series. She sat on the finance committee, and her knowledge of finance proved invaluable to the theater, said Popejoy marketing director Terry Davis.
In April, she was one of a 27-member team to stage the first fund-raising concert in Popejoy Hall's history. She attended the April 4 Roberta Flack concert, even though she was weak and ill.
Robens-Ning is survived by a large family, including her husband; her daughters Jennifer Vallejos and husband JR Vallejos and Kari Howell and husband Zack Howell; stepchildren Natasha Ning and Jason Ning; mother Evelyn Carlson; brothers Bill and Bob Robens, and sisters Kathy Robens and Susan Brannon.
A rosary and memorial service will be held today at 7 p.m. at Queen of Heaven Church. Mass will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Queen of Heaven followed by burial at Sunset Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, make a contribution to the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association or the Muscular Dystrophy Association.