M Lynn Sherwin

After several bouts of lung and breast cancer, Lynn died at home with her family at her side. Lynn was born in Spokane, WA to Bernard Joseph Schmidt and Mary Catherine (Reich) Schmidt. She was the middle of three daughters, Barb being four years older and Judy six years younger. She attended St. Aloysius elementary school, graduated from Holy Names Academy (high school), and went to work for Caterpillar. She married John Malcolm Sherwin in 1955, and they moved to Seattle shortly thereafter.John went to work for Boeing, and she stayed home to raise the family: six children born in nine years. After getting her kids firmly established in Catholic school, she began a series of part-time jobs, starting at Value Mart (which became White Front and eventually Fred Meyer) in Customer Service and ending with full-time work as an Office Administrator at Boeing. Lynn and John enjoyed traveling, especially their winter trips to Maui.She was an excellent seamstress, and sewed most of her own clothes as well as various items for other family members. She loved line and tap dancing, window shopping and holiday fairs. She and John were avid bridge players, and she made many lifelong friends through her bridge clubs. She was a devoted Catholic, and volunteered many hours as a Eucharistic minister and making sandwiches for St. Martin de Porres. She and John paid special attention to their physical fitness and nutrition, working hard to stay healthy as they aged. Early on, her days began with exercising to Jack LaLannes TV show. When the JP Patches show had ended and Jack's show was beginning, he told the kids to go wake up their moms. That evolved to aerobics, jazzercise and dance. Still, she found herself with a spot on her lung in 1986, and had a small lobe removed.The cancer recurred in 1995, necessitating removal of the entire lung.The missing lung left behind a cavity that her remaining lung and heart shifted toward, eventually stretching and twisting her trachea and esophagus causing swallowing/clearing problems. Her doctors pulled out her x-rays to show new associates as the positioning of her organs was so unusual.In 2010 a biopsy showed breast cancer and she had a lumpectomy. The cancer recurred six months ago, showing up in her lymph nodes and various sites around her organs, and she declined chemotherapy. She enjoyed the monthly Sherwin family birthday parties and treasured time spent with her children and grandchildren at other outings, vacations, and sports events. Lynn used to tell her children to each his own and fighting now is normal, but someday you're going to be the best of friends. And so it is. Raised to not only tolerate differences but celebrate them, her children love and like each other. They enjoy spending time together and feel blessed to get along so well. They all pulled together during both John's and Lynn illnesses, and appreciate the support they get from each other. Lynn is survived by her children and grandchildren: Kathy and Dennis Radford (Dan, Dave, Brian, Kaitlin), Greg and Michele May (Tracy, Neil), Doug and Marie Baleto (Danielle) of Guam, Steve, Larry and Jamie Roberts, Matt and Laurie Leslie (Andrew, Spencer, Allison); her sister Barbara Hessburg of Minneapolis, MN, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, John, and beloved sister Judith Ryan. She will be loved and greatly missed by her family and friends, and forever in our hearts and memories. In lieu of flowers or donations, please commit a random act of kindness in her memory.