Katharine Lynn Sawyer

PORTLAND – Lynn Sawyer passed away peacefully on Jan. 14, 2023 at the age of 86. Katharine Lynn Sawyer was born to Katharine Culbertson and Harry Patterson Brown in Niagara Falls, NY on Dec. 10, 1936.

She was predeceased by her husband Bob last September. She is survived by her sons Mike and Bob, and by her daughter and son-in-law Kate and Charlie O’Mara. She is also survived by her brother Christopher P. Brown and her sister-in-law, Mary (Murch) Sawyer, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Lynn and Bob shared 63 years of marriage. Together they raised their children in Chappaqua, NY. Lynn was an amazing mother, especially to young children. She created a book collection for her children that was deep and thought-provoking. The childhood birthday parties she hosted included home-made birthday cakes and specially created games or art activities.

After her children were all in school, she became a volunteer and then a board member of the Mt. Kisco (NY) Day Care Center. Later she worked at the Village Nursery School in Chappaqua. In retirement she volunteered at the YMCA in Damariscotta, Maine. She brought fresh-baked cookies and a love for creative art projects to all of her work with children.

In addition to children, Lynn had a great fondness for the animals in her life: dogs (Heather, Happy, Chester, and Shadow), cats (Wilaber, Merry Christmas, Milkshake, Cat-Cat, Blue, and Sareena) and guinea pigs (Gunther, Schmoo, Alexander, Cecelia-Clyde, and Benjamin). The dogs (and sometimes cats) accompanied her on many walks, but her favorite hikes were in Eastbrook, Maine, up and across the blueberry fields with a quick dip in the pond when finished.

Lynn loved being outdoors, and often you might find her calmly sitting in a chair looking out at a field or pond. She enjoyed swimming, hiking and kayaking. She hand-picked blueberries and brought them home to make blueberry pie. Strawberries and raspberries were made into jams to remind everyone in the winter of the lovely summer days in Maine.

Lynn was an extraordinary cook. She first learned kitchen basics from family friend Helen Elliott, who she adored. Later she took cooking classes at Garland Junior College in Boston. She was a fan of Julia Childs and tried her hand at French Cooking. In the 1970s and early 1980s she bought a wok to master Chinese cooking for the family. Dinner guests enjoyed such treats as Beef Wellington, while her children enjoyed making home-made ice cream in a hand-churn.

The family will have a private celebration of Lynn’s life and internment at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland later this year in spring 2023.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to:

The ARK Shelter

60 Barber Lane

P.O. Box 276

Cherryfield, ME 04622 https://thearkpets.org/donate/

Lynn and Bob supported The ARK, especially after adopting their last dog and cat from them