Dec 26, 1959 - May 8, 2018
We are sad to announce the sudden passing of our gentle friend. She died unexpectedly; there was no time for long goodbyes.
Lynn loved her nieces and nephews, and they meant everything to her. They are: Melanie (Chris) and children Cloe and Thea; Josh (Christi) and children Callesta, Ashtyn, Oakley, Ella, Gianna, Gavin and Milo; Wyatt (ex Amanda) and children Austin and Tori; Michael (Becky) and children Riley and Logan; Laura Lynn, Sarah, Jessica and Michelle.
She leaves behind her brothers and sisters: Wayne (Nat) (ex Dee Dee); Dennis (Karen); Lori (Rick); Fred (ex Laura) and her mother Dana. Lynn is preceded in death by her nephew Rusty and her father Gene.
When Lynn was 13 years old her family moved from California to the Cariboo in a big green converted school bus and lived in it for nearly three years in Wildwood. After building a shop and a shed, they built a house around the bus, and when it was finished, they took out a kitchen wall, drove the bus out and put the wall back up.
During the time the family of seven lived in the bus, children from the neighbourhood, the children of old family friends and new friends from school came to play.
There was a wood stove and a generator for the bus, so when the power went out, anyone lucky enough to hang out with the Ball kids was warm and cozy and could watch TV.
Lynn deeply admired her family's do-it-yourself inclinations and abilities. While neighbourhood children had snow machines, the Ball kids made their own by 'studding' the tires on a Honda 70 motorbike with bolts. They modified a water ski, hooked up a ski rope and pulled each other around in the snow. The neighbourhood kids liked it, too!
This great adventure, living in the bus, combined with her family's incredible resourcefulness, tenacity and legacy of enthusiastic community involvement went a long way in shaping her young life and helped her become the wonderful woman she was, and will always be in the hearts of those lucky enough to have known her.
Lynn loved cooking, and Lori liked sewing, but their dad made sure they both knew how to change a tire.
After graduating from Columneetza Secondary School, Lynn went to B.C.I.T.. She wrote copy for radio stations, first in Salmon Arm and then Kelowna. Efficient and organized, she was doing the work of the executive assistant, but the boss told her she couldn't get that job because she was a woman.
"So long," she told him, and moved on to her next adventure.
She ended up in California and then Tuscan, at convention centres, managing tours and events and meeting celebrities like Liz Taylor and Johnny Cash. She loved it!
Lynn returned to the Cariboo and immersed herself in her community.
She liked yard sales and picking up antiques. She loved history and ancestry. She was a leader, was organized and good at giving directions and loved to be in charge. Lynn made friends easily all her life, and even as a girl, was a natural mentor and caregiver to younger kids. She babysat often and was always drawn to children.
Thrilled when her own nieces and nephews came along, she saw them as 'her' kids, and could not have loved them more if they were her own. As they grew, she would often take them on a 'cousin camp' to the family property at Tyee Lake, sometimes 8-10 of them at a time.
Generous, loyal, loving, funny and strong, she was truly a gift in the world and the fire where you gather to warm your heart.
By request there won't be a service but instead Lynn will be remembered and feted by her nieces and nephews at this summer's 'cousin camp.' In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lynn's memory to the Hough Memorial Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.
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