On April 9, 2020, Lynn Hedl made her transition from this life to the full expression of her angel life. It is my honor and my privilege to write some words of celebration of Lynn’s life. At the time of her passing, she was vice president of the Alabama Chapter of ACB. She was also president of the Birmingham chapter, and she was the president of Friends In Art. So all three groups are sharing in sponsoring Lynn’s place on ACB’s Angel Wall.
Lynn came to the Alabama School for the Blind when she and I were sophomores in high school. We were friends from that time on. We went to our first ACB convention in 1981 in St. Louis. Lynn started work for the VA around 1984, initially teaching daily living skills, but for most of her time there teaching computers. She worked there until the spring of 2016. She was very devoted to the veterans, and they loved her as a teacher. Many were her friends through the years after the completed their classes.
She lived life to the fullest, and her warmth and humor were a magnet for many friends. She was a gifted teacher, an avid reader and a talented writer. When a thing interested Lynn, she had a way of magnetizing people of like interest to her. That quality is a primary component in her being such a good leader.
She got interested in playing the harp, so several of her friends, myself included, got interested, too, and we also started learning to play the harp. In her community, as long as she played, she participated in a “harp circle,” and they played for the veterans, and other places and groups in Birmingham. Through the years she sang in many community choruses and choirs for the churches she attended.
Lynn’s home was a place of welcoming and love, and if she was at convention, she would create some of that warmth and inclusion in the gatherings that took place, whether she was a hostess or just one of the participants. She was such a loyal and cherished friend, and she is deeply missed by all who knew her.
— Nancy Pendegraph
Everyone who ever met or knew Lynn well knew that she was warm and friendly to everyone. Lynn would go out of her way to help people. She especially loved it if she could get people interested in reading, or music.
I enjoyed many times with Lynn, at her house, out and about here and there, and hours on the phone.
Lynn loved to eat. One morning we had apple pie with ice cream for breakfast. And in the evenings, we enjoyed some eggnog (and as Lynn would always proudly add: “That’s eggnog with a little extra nog, of course!”) Lynn loved her coffee, too. And gadgets! The latest ways to make coffee.
She loved ACB, expressing that through activities with the Birmingham chapter. (Did she happen to sell any of you a fidget spinner?) Oh, she was proud to sell those, and many other things, for the state convention. And she loved Friends In Art, putting a ton of work and love into the showcase every year.
We were so shocked when she suddenly left this earth, though I believe she’s listening. She’s up there with her husband and enjoying every minute of knowing how we are and what we’re doing.
— Debbie Hazelton