Lynn
took her leave of us on a beautiful Vermont spring afternoon, as
quietly and calmly as she lived her life. Born in Connecticut, Lynn
moved with her family to south Florida when she was 8. As an adult,
Lynn lived in several places, including stints in Arizona and
Bermuda, before heeding her cousins’ advice and settling in the
hill country of northern Vermont in the early 1970s with her former
husband and two children.
Lynn’s
early career in administration and operations took her from Rossignol
and Garmont to Garden Way and Harrowsmith, as well as opening and
managing Chapters Bookstore and Café in Shelburne. After her
children grew up and moved into their careers, Lynn took the
opportunity to purchase a one-way around-the-world plane ticket,
finally indulging her wanderlust. One of her favorite stops was an
extended visit in Hong Kong, which allowed her to travel solo deep
into mainland China, an experience she cherished. The conclusion of
her trip resulted in a two-year stay in Boston, where she worked at
the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union before returning to
Vermont.
As
Lynn settled back in, she found a new home base in a lovely cottage,
perfectly sized for her, on the lake outside Vergennes. Lynn then
worked a series of retail jobs, often with friends, primarily in
Shelburne village. This allowed her to indulge her passion for
meeting new people and, more importantly, helping them. Whether it
was assisting a customer in deciding on the perfect wedding gift,
bringing a grieving friend a Harrington’s ham and a bottle of wine,
or helping an old friend, as she aged, with day-to day-tasks, one of
Lynn’s greatest strengths was her capacity to help others in ways
large and small.
Lynn’s
greatest pride was her children, Meghan (Andrew) and Senan, whom she
supported and encouraged in all their endeavors. It brought her no
small measure of joy to have her intrepid children ultimately return
to their home state, where she was able to see them regularly and
involve herself in their lives.
In
addition to her children, Lynn is survived by her sisters, Gay (Mike)
Gallagher, Diane Cooper and Karen (Irv) Rose; her cousin, Blair (Bob)
Hall, and their children; several nieces and nephews; and extended
family. Special thanks go to Kasie, Tim, Aria and Sebastian, for
their excellent care of Lynn during her final years.
Lynn
loved the arts in all forms: literature, fine arts, music, dance,
performing arts, etc. In lieu of flowers, if you are so moved, a
donation in Lynn’s name to your local library, museum, performing
arts center or other arts foundation would be appreciated. A memorial
celebration may be planned at a later date.
This article appears in The Summer Preview 2024.