Lynn Ruth Mitchell

Lynn was born on April 17, 1938, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to Donald and Ruth Yeast. Her childhood was strongly colored by the hardworking spirit of her father, who worked on the railroad, and her mother, a schoolteacher who famously rode her horse to the schoolhouse every day. Alongside her younger brother, Gary, Lynn grew up with a firm foundation of family values that would define her entire life.

After high school, Lynn attended modeling school in preparation for her career as an flight attendant—a role that eventually led her to the love of her life. Through a serendipitous connection between a flight attendant friend dating Jim's high school pal, a pilot, Jim and Lynn met. It was the beginning of a profound partnership that would span 65 years.

In the early years of their marriage, Lynn and Jim had two children -- James (1961) and Lisa (1965), then embarked to Paris, France, for an engineering position offered to Jim. (Many pictures in the slide show are from those memorable European days.) Following their five years abroad, Lynn often looked back on their time in Paris with great fondness -- reminiscing about family picnic lunches in Parisian parks, watching her children sail toy boats in famous fountains, and recalling family rides through the city on a tandem bicycle built for four.

Upon the family's return to Farmington Hills, Michigan they spent nine years cherishing close proximity to extended family. During this time, Lynn and Jim became devoted members of Nardin Park Methodist Church, which they loved, finding deep community and lifelong friendships within the Double Ring group.

In 1983, Lynn and Jim moved to Carlsbad, California, where they began a joyful new chapter. Lynn thrived in the Carlsbad Newcomers Club, treasuring the social gatherings they attended as a couple and the many trips and outings she shared with her "ladies’ groups." As their family grew to include James’s wife, Pat, and Lisa’s husband, Tom, Lynn delighted in her expanding circle, always creating new memories with the people she loved most.

Lynn passed away peacefully at home on January 11, 2026, under the devoted care of her beloved Jim. We celebrate a life defined by elegance, adventure, and an unwavering commitment to family.