Things are settling down....Thanksgiving holiday was different. I think I've only been away from Lynn on Thanksgiving twice since we started dating many years ago. Jono and I made the best of the day, driving down to Silverton in the morning to see the Oregon Gardens, and joining friends Beth and Greg for a great potluck dinner. The foodie ethic of Portland means that all dishes are guaranteed to be super tasty, and artfully labelled for every possible dietary restriction. Special kudos to Olive who can make anything out of balloons.
Deborah, Jess & Nicole, Jono, and Dana & Meghan, along with Deborah's mom and brother Dave and Lynn's siblings Jay, Fred and Marta will all be in Austin for a memorial celebration of Lynn's life next Saturday December 6 at 10 am at the Whisenhunt Stage at Zach Theatre. If you are planning to attend, note that this is the small theatre in the round at the Zach complex.... Park on Toomey Road or in the lot on Toomey Road just west of Lamar and come in through the door facing Toomey Road.
Lynn tried very hard to retell a few riffs from a comedy monologue the last week of his life when friends would visit. Impossible to understand the routine since Lynn was laughing so much. Here's the script for Bob Newhart's "Driving Instructor" for those who were curious, particularly if you laughed along with Lynn despite having no idea what the jokes really were.
This photo that we used in the Austin obituary is from when Lynn visited me in Prague a few summers back. It is one of my favorite images of Lynn - relaxed, surrounded by beauty and history, slightly skeptical gaze, with a lot of love and wisdom behind those eyes. And a blue sky and long view.
He lived a full life and we are all enriched from his connections to each of us.
I’d like to express my condolences to you Deborah, your children, his siblings and his many close friends. Thank you so much for planning a celebration of Lynn’s life in Austin. The event Saturday was a wonderful tribute to him. It was thoughtfully planned and perfectly tailored to honoring who he was as a person in the world, friend, father and brother. It spanned his life and gave me a deeper understanding of him from a personal and professional perspective. Singing Dona Nobis Pacem in rounds was a memorable and an uplifting ending.
ReplyDeleteI’ve known Lynn since 1988 when he joined “Book Group” and his participation continued until he moved to California a few years ago (with a brief hiatus while he was in Fiji.) He’d always read our selection plus three or four other books, both fiction and non-fiction covering a wide range of topics and issues. When it came time to select our books he’d often advocate for reading some of the classics. He wanted us to pick Anthony Trollope (Phinneas Finn). Marcel Proust (Remembrance of Things Past, Vol. 1 and The Golden Bowl by Henry James ended up on the list at his suggestion. Sometimes he wouldn’t make any suggestions and was happy to read the list others wanted. He was a great contributor to the discussions with serious, humorous and insightful comments. He’d often entertain us with funny stories about legal scenarios he’d worked on and his frequent travels. When there was a difference of opinion he didn’t hesitate to speak his mind. He usually listened to what others had to say before offering his comments and critique.
I’d like to note how Lynn touched my life. He was generous and kind in many ways. Lynn helped me with a few legal needs over the years as he did other book group members. He invited all of his book group buddies to family celebrations and events. Inclusion of all was definitely a principle he lived by in his life. I feel fortunate to have been included in his broad circle of friends and to have spent time with him. As was mentioned Saturday, he easily formed relationships, really listened and was always present when he was with you. He was a great conversationalist and he could talk about almost anything with considerable knowledge.
Our Book Group has changed over the years but Lynn will always have a virtual chair at our gatherings. We will remember his big booming voice, his infectious laugh and muse about what he would say about Texas politics (that topic always somehow comes up regardless of the book we’re discussing). He will be greatly missed by our group and by me.