Jeanne Robertson obit

Jeanne Robertson, North Carolina humorist, dies at 77

 

 She was not on the list.

Jeanne Robertson, who parlayed her appearance in the Miss America pageant into a career as a speaker and humorist, died unexpectedly Saturday. She was 77.

Her death was announced by Elon University, where she served as a trustee.

“We have lost one of Elon’s greatest friends,” university President Connie Ledoux Book said in a statement. “Jeanne Robertson loved to tell the Elon story wherever she went.”

She died at her home in Burlington, said her manager, Al McCree. A cause of death was not released.

Robertson became Miss North Carolina at age 19, and won Miss Congeniality at the 1963 Miss America pageant.

Her pageant experience, and her 6-foot-2-inch frame, often provided fodder for her comedy routines, delivered in her Southern accent.

She wrote four books, the most recent being “Don’t Bungee Jump Naked and other important stuff.” Her YouTube channel has received more than 114 million views. In one popular routine, “ Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store,” she talked about her habit of making 7-Up pound cakes and the difficulty her husband, whom she always called “Left Brain,” had in interpreting her grocery list.

She taught physical education in North Carolina for eight years after graduating from Auburn University in 1967.

She was a one-time president of the National Speakers Association and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1981.

Robertson taught physical education for eight years in North Carolina.

Although she began her public speaking career with her pageant title, Robertson achieved much more national attention as a humorist and speaker. Her anecdotes have been broadcast regularly on satellite radio comedy channels, including XM Radio's Laugh USA, Sirius Radio's Blue Collar Comedy and its Family Comedy Channel, and Laugh Break. Her popularity soared, however, in 2009 after a handful of humorous clips from her talks became popular videos. Robertson distinguished between a humorist, which she considered herself, and a comedian, stating, "The humorist weaves the longer stories with a point. We don't go 'after' anybody. I'm telling my life."

In 1980 she was designated a Certified Speaking Professional by the National Speakers Association, and served as the association's president in 1985. She was also a Golden Gavel award-winning Toastmaster.

On April 29, 2008, she spoke at the White House for National Volunteer Week to honor the 1,300 volunteers who donate time to work at the White House.