Lynn has been a pastor in local churches, professor in undergraduate and graduate programs, and educator and chaplain in maximum security prisons. In each of those roles, she has had the opportunity to explore Life’s great questions.

Death was always a topic of conversation in her childhood home. Her father was a pastor and often the person a physician would call when someone was near death or a funeral director would ask to conduct a service. And there was the “D” file on her father’s desk, which was updated a few times a year when her parents took a trip. “D” stood for death and this file, the children were reminded, held all the important papers – bank account numbers, names of attorneys, as well as what should be read and sung at a memorial service.

While death was a normal conversation topic in her household, so was life. Her parents were clear about how they wanted to live – what values were important to them, what they wanted to learn and experience, how they wanted to use their money and what they wanted to pass onto their children and grandchildren. That’s how Lynn and her siblings knew exactly what to do when her father was taken to the Emergency Room after a sudden and massive heart attack. He spoke often of what it was to live a good life and was clear about how a DNR would ensure he had a good death.

As a pastor of 30 years, Lynn has journeyed with families as they have discerned how to live abundantly and die meaningfully. She has also been with families who understood nothing about what was important to the one who died or how that person wanted their life to be celebrated and remembered. The difference between these two inheritances can be impactful at the time of death.

Lynn studied Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL) and earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. She was Affiliate Faculty at Calvin University where she taught courses on Intergenerational Theory and Leadership both on the main and the Handlon Prison campus. She also helped develop asynchronous online courses. She holds a certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership from the Mendoza School of Business at Notre Dame and in Creating a Happy and Meaningful Life from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

She lives in Greenwich, CT with her husband and enjoys walking, gardening, arranging Charcuterie boards and playing word games. She was honored to work with Faith Sommerfield and others to plan and conduct her memorial service. Together, Lynn and her husband are parents of 3 adult children and are writing a book, Calling Calder: Rediscovering the Art of Living by Living Like an Artist.