Lynn Marie Pfaender died at her home on Monday, September 30, 2019, after a 2½ year battle with pancreatic cancer, which she fought with characteristic strength, courage, toughness, intelligence, and grace.
Lynn was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1955, the 4th of 5 children. She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1973, and from the Ohio State University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in Circulation Technology. She went south to Atlanta for her first job, and never left (“When God made me born a Yankee he was teasin’, there’s no place like home and none more pleasin’,….than the Southland in the springtime.”)
Lynn’s served Atlanta as a perfusionist (a key member of the open heart surgery team) for nearly forty years, first at Grady and St. Joe’s, followed by the last 21 years at Piedmont Healthcare, where she was the Lead Perfusionist until 2011, and the Mechanical Circulatory Support Coordinator until 2017. Lynn played a key role in starting Piedmont’s ECMO program, now one of the largest adult programs in the nation. She was the consummate professional, deeply respected by her colleagues for her clinical excellence, and for her academic research.
Lynn applied her fierce competitiveness and indomitable will to sports and recreational activity throughout her life. Though small in stature, her warrior spirit sustained her as a top competitor in tennis, and as a member of the Ohio State Women’s Rugby Club. After college, she took up soccer in her mid-20s, and her natural athleticism and intelligence established her as one of the top scoring center-forwards in the Dekalb-Decatur Women’s Soccer League. Revered by her teammates, she was also greatly respected by her opponents, as evidenced by the palpable sigh of relief from the league’s goalies and defenders when she retired. She also channeled her energy into mountain biking, windsurfing, gardening, and a variety of other outdoor activities.
Lynn’s career, her wide-ranging activities, and her vacation homes in Tallulah Falls and Anna Maria Island (FL) resulted in a life rich with deep, close friendships. Among those friends, and among her neighbors and co-workers, Lynn was loved for her strong and generous heart; she would do anything to help a neighbor or friend in need—no matter the hour. Under a hot sun, or on an icy road, or in a muddy, nasty crawl space, she was there with her flashlight, tools, and wealth of problem solving savvy.
Her blue eyes were so beautiful when she smiled, and better yet, when she laughed, which was often. We will miss the laughter most—the doubled-over gut busting kind—on her dock in Tallulah Falls (after chores, of course) when we gathered on summer afternoons to enjoy a cool one while telling stories of loves and dreams pursued, predicaments shared, battles fought, races entered, matches played, seeds that bore fruit, the recipes that went awry, and those that soared. There were many….so many.
The sorrow from her passing has only one equal: This abundant gratitude of good fortune for each moment each of her friends and family were privileged to share with her. Pat Conroy, perhaps Lynn’s favorite author, best captures our feeling on losing Lynn: “Among the worst things about growing old is the loss of those irreplaceable friends who added richness and depth to your life.”
Lynn was preceded in death by her father, Lawrence V. Pfaender, and is survived by her mother, Donna Coy Pfaender, and by 4 siblings: twin brothers Mike & Jim (Katrina, nieces Heather & Lisa), older sister Amie Dennis (nephew Nathan and niece Caley), and younger sister Beth Ullom (Phil).
Lynn’s extraordinary life and caring, adventurous nature will be celebrated by her family, friends and colleagues on Saturday, October 5 at H.M. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, at 1020 Spring Street, Atlanta, GA, with an hour at 2:30 to mingle and share memories, and a memorial service at 3:30, followed by a reception at 5:00 at STATS Brewpub, located at 300 Marietta St NW. In keeping with Lynn’s philosophy and spirit, dress will be comfortable and summer casual for the service and the reception.
In lieu of flowers or cards, please consider an Honor Gift donation in Lynn’s name to the Piedmont Hospital Tower Capital Campaign by visiting give.piedmont.org.
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