On May 1st, the inimitable Lynn Pugh Remadna passed away. Lynn was like a second mother to me. She was elemental, somebody who you thought was going to be around forever. She was one of those people who really felt like a part of the fabric of Austin – seemingly everywhere, ubiquitous, present for every major milestone of so many people’s lives, including my own.
Lynn was also, for lack of a better term, just plain cool. As a kid, you wanted to be able to hang out with her – she was in on the joke. If there was an event, you flocked to where Lynn was. I’ve been slowly but surely digitally transferring all of my mom and dad’s home videos over the last few years, and in almost every single one of them – whenever there is a gathering of any number of people, especially children – Lynn is right there in the middle of the action, and the camera is drawn to her. Sure, my third birthday party was fun enough, but it didn’t really begin until Lynn showed up as the Genie from
Aladdin.
Lynn was a connection to an older Austin. Spending time with her meant hearing wild stories about local celebrities, the lore of yesteryear, the stuff you won’t read about in any historical guide to our city.
Above all, she was an extraordinary spirit, fully embodying true kindness and generosity throughout her life. I cannot begin to describe the number of things she did for me and the support she’s given my family over the years. The world seems a lot less full without her in it. My heart goes out to Khier, Nabil, Hunter and Laura, Gary and Kim, and Lynn’s entire family.
Services for Lynn were held at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd on Tuesday, May 10th. I was deeply honored to edit a slideshow in her memory,
which you can view here.
