Lynn Louise Dodge

Lynn Louise Dodge, 71, died September 12, 2017, at Westminster Canterbury after a brief illness. Lynn was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved with her parents to Lynchburg in 1960 after living briefly in Gastonia, NC, and Richmond, VA. Lynn was the daughter of the late Charles and Mary Louise Dodge. She is survived by her sister, Laurie Hibbert (Tom) of Concord, NC; her nephew Charles Dodge Hibbert (Colleen) and niece, Margaret Lynn Thomas, both of Concord, NC; Great nieces and nephews Hannah, Avery and Quinn Hibbert and Aleks and Evan Thomas; her aunt Georgieann Wall of Mt. Juliet, TN; and cousins Doug Wall, Bruce Wall, Susie Francis, and Cindy Martin. Following graduation from EC Glass High School, Lynn received a bachelor’s degree from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC, and a Master’s in Library Science from UNC Chapel Hill. Her first job after graduating from UNC was with the Henrico County Public Library outside of Richmond, VA. Lynn returned to Lynchburg in 1974 as the Director of the Lynchburg Public Library. She held this position for 39 years until her retirement in 2013. Lynn’s tenure at the Lynchburg Public Library spanned almost 4 decades. During that time she drafted the master plan for the future of the library, oversaw the move of the library from downtown to its present location, proposed the concept of the branch library, was involved in the establishment of the Center for Human Rights within the library, and oversaw the computerization of the library card catalog and the library’s entry into the digital era. A friend from high school said “She touched many lives inside and outside of the public library. She donated her time and personal money to the Lynchburg Public Library and many other historic and betterment projects around the city over the years.” The Lynn Dodge Story Time Room at the library is a permanent reminder of her dedication to the Lynchburg Community. One former coworker said “She will certainly leave this city greater and more beautiful and more educated than it was when she came her so many years ago.” Another former classmate said “Lynn is a living legend in the library circles, but to the Class of “64, she is just a kind generous, and wonderful person.” A celebration of Lynn’s life and legacy will be held Saturday September 16, 2017, from 12 – 2 PM in the Commons at Westminster Canterbury. In lieu of flowers please consider donating in Lynn’s memory to the Friends of the Library, the Lynchburg Museum System, or a charity of your choice. The family would like to thank the staff at Westminster Canterbury for their compassion and care for Lynn during her illness. A special thank you to Beverly Horsely who assisted in caring for Lynn the past 2 months. A private burial will be held at the Scatter Garden in the Old City Cemetery. Whitten Park Avenue Chapel is serving the Dodge family