Mary Lynn Schoolfield

2021. She was known to her friends and co-workers as Lynn. Lynn was born August 21, 1922, in Ardmore, OK where her father had a trucking company delivering equipment to the oil fields.

She was preceded in death by her parents, H. C. and Ruth Boyd Schoolfield, her brother John B.

Schoolfield and sister Catherine Schoolfield. She is survived by her daughters, Sara

Maddux of Washington, DC, and Mary Ann Hayes (Thomas) of St. Augustine, FL as well as her granddaughter, Samantha Lynn Hayes Corley (Matthew), of St. Augustine. Great-grandchildren are Channing Peckham and Cape Corley of St. Augustine, FL. She was known to the grandchildren as Nanny.

Lynn’s family moved to Pampa, Texas where she attended school from the first grade through high school. She was interested in piano music at the age of 8 as evidenced by a letter to Santa published in the paper asking for a toy piano for Christmas. From there she took piano lessons for the rest of her school days and excelled at recitals and competitions usually receiving a first place award either as a soloist or as a duo pianist with her best friend, Carolyn Surratt. She shared her talent with the community by playing both piano and organ at various churches and being an accompanist at many functions. In high school she was a member of the band, National Honor Society and received the Citizenship Award presented by the student council.

After high school she attended Texas State College for Women at Denton, TX (now known as Texas Women’s University) for two years to study the organ. She was selected as a student advisor and during the spring semester was a student organ recitalist for the Little Chapel in the Woods. During this time, she joined the Episcopal Church. After she moved to Washington, D. C. , she attended and was a faithful supporter of the Washington National Cathedral.

After her two years of college, she married and moved to Houston and then to the Texas panhandle. She stayed busy as a homemaker, girl scout leader and piano teacher until her two daughters graduated from high school. For six years during elementary school she was at home to feed her daughters a lunch every day when all the students were sent home for lunch. Her shining accomplishment was as organist for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Dumas, TX every Sunday for many years playing an antique pump organ.

Her family moved to Savannah, GA and Tampa, FL. After the dissolution of her marriage she moved to Washington, D. C. and resumed her maiden name of Schoolfield. She began her federal employment career at the U. S. Coast Guard. Subsequently she worked for the Department of Interior (Bureau of Mines) and the Federal Reserve Board headquarters. Lynn began at the Environmental Protection Agency shortly after it was organized. She was an International Environmental Specialist when she retired at the age of 84. She received many awards and recognitions. She enjoyed the international travel and meeting with her professional colleagues at the conferences. Lynn was well known for her chili recipe and the keyboard music she provided on special occasions at the office.

Even before retirement she was well known as Grandma Lynn to a bevy of children and grandchildren of her many friends. She kept up with their birthdays and special holidays and attended several of their weddings as they grew up. One of these wrote that “she was full of style, class, spunk and great stories of a life well-lived. “ On her 99th birthday in August, she went out to dinner with her daughters wearing her best strand of pearls and celebrated with a glass of wine.

Lynn is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery, DACOR section, 201 Allison St NW, after a brief graveside service on December 13. Because of COVID a celebration of life service will be held later in the year when it is safe to have a larger gathering.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of M. Lynn Schoolfield to the Organ Fund at the Washington National Cathedral or to a local church organ or music fund. For online access, cathedral.org/music/support. Mailing address is Washington National Cathedral, PO Box 98283, Washington, D. C., 20090-8283. Write Organ on memo line.