LEGACY OF A LION: ROBYN RUEDE CAPONI

By Kara Gebhart Uhl

“Being under the influence of the Sisters of Charity definitely influenced my way of looking at the injustices of the world,” says Robyn Ruede Caponi ’72. “You have a responsibility to other people, to God, and to yourself to be the best kind of person you can. So educate yourself and contribute something.”

The oldest of six children, Robyn was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and later moved to Pueblo, Colorado, where she attended Pueblo Catholic High School which became Seton High School. There the Sisters recognized the name “Ruede” and Robyn’s father discovered he had two first cousins, Sister Florence and Sister Marion, who were Sisters of Charity (Cincinnati). The Sisters encouraged Robyn to attend the Mount and Robyn won a Seton Scholarship.

In August 1968, Robyn’s parents drove her to Denver, dropped her off at the airport, and told her they’d see her at Christmas. After changing planes in St. Louis, she arrived in Cincinnati to find her luggage lost and unbearably humid weather but some kind MSJ seniors.

“I was quite the teary freshman calling home that night,” she said. “I had never been to the Mount. I had never been to Cincinnati. But that’s how people did it then.”

Robyn served breakfast in the cafeteria, the 6 a.m. clock-ins softened by the heavenly smell of the donutmaking machine. She remembers the popular Saturday night steak night when students could treat a date to a $2 steak dinner and phone duty in the lounge—when someone called you ran to find the recipient or took a message. Christmas was always special, she says, with a concert, dinner, and decorating contests. And as soon as the temperature hit 60° everyone would spread out towels on campus in an area known as “Seton Beach” to work on their tans.

Robyn (bottom, center) and friends.

Photo credit The 1971 College of Mount St. Joseph Yearbook.

Empowered by the Mount’s supportive environment, the move filled Robyn with confidence and she flourished. She played the bassoon in the orchestra, and in student government, served as a representative for two years, then as vice president and president. She also served on a committee to help select the successor for Sister Adele Clifford, SC.

One memorable event was an all-girls’ flag football game at Xavier University’s football field. Sue Macbeth ’72 was the quarterback and the Mount won by one touchdown on a trick play. That spring, Robyn, serving as a waitress for a private dinner between Sr. Adele and Rev. Paul O’Connor, chancellor of Xavier, overheard them talking about the game— they couldn’t remember who won. Robyn wanted to set the record straight. “Excuse me,” she said. “The Mount!”

Robyn met Lynn Lewandowsky Casey ’72, her best friend to this day, at the Mount. And she met Vince Caponi at a mixer early freshman year. She debated attending—she was wearing jeans and studying, and at the time students were required to wear skirts and nylons outside of the dorms. But she thought she might meet someone interesting. As soon as the elevator doors opened, there was Vince.

“That was probably the best decision I ever made,” she says.

During her time at the Mount the dress code was relaxed and the curfews were dropped.

Robyn with Sister Adele Clifford SC.

Photo credit The 1972 College of Mount St. Joseph Yearbook.

“It was the end of the ’60s,” she says. “It was that whole kind of vibe in the society that things were changing.”

Speakers such as Gloria Steinem visited, impacting Robyn greatly. Steinem spotted a poster advertising a party for engaged seniors during her visit “and Gloria took one look at that poster and wanted to know where was the party for the girls who were going to law school and graduate school,” Robyn says. “It gave us something to think about.”

Robyn says despite the changing times, many of her classmates also enjoyed community-building traditions, such as singing the “Mount St. Jo’ Girl” song.

Robyn and Vince married the summer of 1972 (and celebrated their 50th anniversary this year). Robyn started out as a math major, switched to social studies, was a student teacher at Oak Hills High School and upon graduation was hired by Oak Hills to teach social studies. After one year she and Vince moved to Owosso, Michigan, where she taught junior high social studies and English for six years.

Robyn Ruede Caponi with now-husband Vince at prom in 1971. .

Photo credit Mount St. Joseph University archives.

Vince began working as a Catholic healthcare executive, and the family moved several times—Greenville, Michigan; Augusta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; and Indianapolis, Indiana. They have three daughters— Gina Caponi Parnaby, Kristen Caponi Darmody, and Cara Caponi. Robyn was a substitute teacher, volunteered in the schools and worked on parish committees. She’s also been a docent at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, served on the Alumni Board of the Mount, and has volunteered at the St. Augustine Home, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. A strong advocate for social justice, Robyn has also been actively involved with the Ignatian Solidarity Network for 20 years; she and Vince also served on its national board.

“I have such deep gratitude and love for the Sisters and the college,” she says. “It had a huge impact on my life. And that’s why I support places like the Mount. Because we need this kind of faith-based, values-based education— not just learning how to have a profession but to have a purpose in life and to understand how you fit into God’s plan and where does God fit in your life. That’s important.”

Current family photo.

Photo credit Sam Guerpo Photography.