Lynn Rainey of Kent, WA died on the morning of May 3rd at Valley Medical Center. She was 72.
Lynn was 2 for 3 lifetime against cancer. She survived cervical cancer in her 30s, breast cancer in her 50s. But lung cancer took her from us. She was incredibly brave. She endured chemotherapy, and all its attendant issues. She never cried. Never went through a why-me phase. She dealt with it, head on. She was diagnosed on September 27, 2021 and endured the indignity of it all with her head held high for eight months. Not a surprise to any of us who knew and loved her. She was always the type to quickly accept her reality, however unpleasant, and do what she had to do.
Lynn was not a big fan of humanity. She did not suffer fools gladly. But she was a very big fan indeed of a few specific humans. If you fell into that group, you had a loyal, devoted friend, or mother, or companion who would do whatever she could for you whenever you needed it. She was never needy or clingy. An inconvenience to someone she cared about was THE last thing she ever wanted to be, or ever was.
My favorite Lynn story that embodies who she was; We were living in a house in the Fairwood section of Renton. To get from our door to our driveway, one had to walk a dirt path over which hung branches from a large tree. One morning, very early, I started the trek to the car when I saw a racoon on a branch, directly over the path about 10 feet up. I froze. I knew nothing about raccoons. I went back inside, woke Lynn and asked her, what do you know about raccoons? She asked, why, and I explained the situation. She got up, grabbed one of my golf clubs and said, follow me. It was a slightly emasculating moment, but of course that was not her intention. The raccoon was gone by the time we got back outside, so she did not have to beat the hell out of it with my 9-iron. But that was Lynn. She was fearless, and always ready to help.
We are having a party to celebrate Lynn at her house on Sunday, July 24th. Please email me for the address if you’d like to attend. You can reach me at ckarbowski <at> hotmail.com. (Substitute @ for <at>) Lynn would not have wanted a big deal to be made of her passing. No funeral, and I think she would cringe at the term, celebration of life. So, a party it is. Lynn loved a lively party, and new how to throw one. She loved her kids. She loved dogs, and she loved videos of funny monkeys. She loved a good book and a great movie. She loved Jeopardy. She loved stylish clothes and a well-decorated room. She loved to laugh, and she loved a warm day, especially one spent near water. She loved good food and good drink, and she loved a good nap. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life. My lovely, little Lynn. My Bean.
The post first appeared on Barton Family Funeral Service.