A champion swimmer at Brunswick High School, she attended college in Boston. At an early age, Lyn was bitten by the flying bug and in 1944 she joined the WAVES, the female branch of the U.S. Navy, and served as Control Tower Operator and Chief Specialist-Y. She received the Maine Governor’s Award for WWII Service.
Following the war, she obtained her Private Pilot and Commercial Pilot License for Land and Sea. She became a certified instructor helping teach WWII pilots to become certified Commercial Pilots. She flew out of the Harrisburg Seaplane Base on the Susquehanna River and also founded the McKenzie School of Aeronautics. A member of Grace United Methodist in Harrisburg, PA, she met her husband in their coed club.
Lyn married Richard B. McKenzie, in 1955. They lived in New Cumberland, PA, until 1971, when they moved to Maine.
Lyn was a lifelong Girl Scout. She received many lifetime service awards from both Kennebec and Hemlock Councils.
Historian for Kennebec Girl Scout Council, Lyn is a nationally recognized Girl Scout Historian. She compiled an exceptional collection of antique-topresent day G.S. Uniforms. Girl Scouts of all ages have enjoyed modeling her collection in hundreds of fashion shows for over 40 years. In 1987, she published a book on Girl Scouting’s 75th Anniversary.
Many people will remember Lyn for her enthusiastic participation in many parts of the community: for 20 years as much-loved chief costumer of plays and musicals for the Portland Players; s archivist of the Falmouth Historical Society, collaborator on the 2009 book “Images of America – Falmouth”: as local favorite historical fashion lecturer, her popular presentations include “One Hundred Hats … 1860 to 1960” and “What They Wore Underneath”.
Lyn was a longtime member of the Brunswick-Topsham Daughters of the American Revolution.
At age 80, Lyn published her first children’s book: “Betsy, Girl Scout of Woodword Center, 1935” about the Depression in a small Maine town. In 2007 she published “Lavinia’s Shoes”. Recently, at age 90, she published: “Maine Family Stories and Poems”.
Lyn is survived by her husband, Richard B. McKenzie of Falmouth, her two daughters: Meredith McKenzie of Mar Vista, CA, and Curtise McKenzie of Newark, CA. Her three grandsons: McKenzie, Katahdin and Noah Alcus of Mar Vista, CA.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Lyn’s memory to the “Lyn McKenzie Campership Fund”, allowing Girl Scouts to attend Summer Camp. Girl Scouts of Maine, 138 Gannett Drive, P.O. Box 9421, South Portland, ME 04116.
A Celebration of Lyn’s life is planned for Thursday, January 17th at 1:00 p.m., at the Falmouth Congregational Church, 267 Falmouth Road, Falmouth.
Arrangements are under the care of A.T. Hutchins Funeral and Cremation Services, 660 Brighton Ave, Portland. More information is available on the A.T. Hutchins website: www.athutchins.com, on Lyn’s website www.lynbooks.com or on Facebook: LynMcKenzieMaine.
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