Lynda Mar Condon

She was a loving, caring and generous person who will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Lynda started life on November 16, 1941, in Chicago, IL, but quickly moved to Northern Indiana. She grew up in South Bend where she became a fan of Notre Dame Football. Her father, Elmer O. Gumz was a great friend of the legendary ND head football coach, Frank Leahy. She admired Coach Leahy. Once, when her father took her to visit the President of Wabash College, the President asked Lynda what she thought of him. She answered, according to family lore, “You’re a nice man, but Frank Leahy is nicer.” That was Lynda…direct and honest, but always respectful.

Football wasn’t her only interest. Lynda won the Indiana State Gold medal for Spanish language proficiency while at Adams High School. She enjoyed modeling, winning Miss Photoflash and Miss Cavalcade titles and participated in the Miss South Bend and Miss America competitions.

Since Notre Dame was not accepting female undergraduates back then, she attended nearby St. Mary’s College and earned her BA. Her other significant interest was politics. Lynda was a Goldwater Girl in Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign. She later chauffeured Ronald Reagan around town when the local GOP hosted him. She was a lifelong, card-carrying Republican.

After graduating from St. Mary’s, she worked as office manager in the family farming business and attended graduate school at the University of Notre Dame, earning an MA in Teaching in 1969. In that year she married James [Jim] Condon [ND BA ‘64, MA ‘68] in South Bend and relocated to the Chicago area.

While living in the Northwest suburbs, Lynda taught social studies in local high schools briefly and then changed careers. She entered human resources management as HR Manager for a small medical device manufacturer and High School District 214. After about 10 years she changed careers and moved into the world of sales and sales management with new home developers. She especially enjoyed the creativity and customer contact in those roles.

In 1990 Lynda relocated to Houston, TX [actually, suburban Sugar Land]. During that transition, Lynda and Jim were blessed to adopt a lovely baby girl, they named Colleen Mar.

While raising her daughter, Lynda ventured into entrepreneurship, acquiring a small executive suite business with her husband. After closing the business, she took an early retirement to concentrate on her family and health.

Lynda enjoyed designing and supervising the building of her new homes. She especially liked quietly helping others financially. She was dedicated to her vegetarian lifestyle and even more so to her cats. She thrived in political discourse and had an excellent eye for quality antiques. She loved exploring her genealogy and was accepted into the National Daughters of the American Revolution as a result of her and her mother’s research. She was also a member of the Descendants of Founders of New Jersey. Lynda may have been related to the Ancient Kings of Scotland and Charlemagne.

Lynda is preceded in death by her parents, Elmer O. Gumz and Helen Mar Nicholson.

She is survived by James M. [Jim] Condon [spouse] and daughter, Colleen Mar Boettcher Condon. Brother Stephen E. Gumz, Brothers in Law, Keith F. Condon, Kevin J. Condon, Philip [Pete] H. Wootton, Sister-in-Laws, Sharon Reber Gumz, Maureen Condon Wootton, Lisa Miller Condon, Maureen “Moe” Girkins Condon and numerous nieces and nephews plus multiple grandnieces & nephews.

Arrangements made through The Settegast-Kopf Co. at Sugar Creek.

Indiana Service Details: A visitation will occur October 21, 2023 at 10:00 AM, with a Memorial Service to follow at 11:00 AM at Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Dr., South Bend, IN 46628. The internment will occur at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, 375 W. Cleveland Rd.,Granger, IN 46530.

Texas Service Details: A Memorial Mass will occur October 30, 2023 at 10:00 AM, with a reception immediately following in the Parish Hall at St. Laurence Catholic Church, 3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77479.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to:

Alzheimer’s Association

American Heart Association

Friends for Life, Houston TX

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.settegastkopf.com for the Condon family.