Robyn Dobson Yovanovich, whose passion for theater and enthusiasm for life enriched students at Foxcroft School, members of the steeplechase racing community and the entire Middleburg community, lost her battle with cancer and died peacefully in her sleep Monday, July 23 at her home in Upperville, VA. She was 58.

Yovanovich is survived by her husband, Donald Yovanovich, and her daughter, Anna Clancey Yovanovich, father, Robert V. Dobson of Delaplane, VA, and brothers Michael Dobson of Middleburg, and John Dobson of Charleston, SC. Her mother, Gwendolyn Dobson, predeceased her.

Yovanovich had been chair of the Foxcroft School Fine Arts Department since 1997. She shared her passion for drama daily as advisor and mentor to scores of students and directed 30 major theatrical productions, including this spring's "Legally Blonde." In addition to teaching drama, dance, and fitness, and advising several student clubs, she inspired many would-be thespians, a number of whom have gone on to earn drama scholarships and forge acting careers.

The courage with which she waged her three-year battle with cancer and her love and devotion to Foxcroft, came together in spring 2010 when she put on a one-woman show called "What I Did For Love" that raised nearly $7,000 for the School's Fine Arts Department.

Robyn was also well-known in area theater circles, appearing in and directing productions for the Middleburg Players, on whose Board she served. Referring to her family as "horse people," she was involved in the equestrian life of the area as well. She served as chair of volunteers for the Virginia Gold Cup and did color commentary on ESPN-TV for the Gold Cup and the International Gold Cup for a decade and a half.

A fifth-generation Virginian, Robyn was born in Alexandria, Va., and moved to Middleburg when she was in high school. After attending the Catholic University of America on a Helen Hayes drama scholarship, she went to New York and worked on Broadway for several years, including a stint as an understudy for a character in A Chorus Line! She also worked in equine advertising and journalism businesses in Kentucky and Virginia and taught acting, directing and dance at other schools in the area.

A memorial service will be held Thursday, July 26, at 11:00 a.m. at Foxcroft School, in Miss Charlotte's Garden. Internment is private. Contributions may be made to the Foxcroft School Fine Arts Department, P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA 20118.