Evalyn Coombs McKenzie

Evalyn Coombs McKenzie November 10, 1922 December 22, 2012 Evalyn Coombs McKenzie, 90, of Falmouth, passed away December 22, 2012 at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough. She was born in Rangeley, Maine, November 10, 1922, to Edith Hennessey and Frank Montgomery Coombs. Lyn grew up in the Brunswick-Topsham area with her mother and step-father Ellis Aldrich. A champion swimmer at Brunswick High School, she then attended Bryant-Stratton College in Boston. At an early age, Lyn was bitten by the flying bug as she listened to stories from her mother's brother, her Uncle Joe Hennessey, an early pilot who flew archeologists into Central America. As WWII progressed, Lyn joined the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service or W.A.V.E.S., the female branch of the U.S. Navy, and served as Control Tower Operator and as a Chief Specialist Y. She received the Maine Governor's Award for WWII Service. Following the war, she obtained her Private Pilot License and then her Commercial Pilot License for Land and Sea. She flew out of the Harrisburg Seaplane Base on the Susquehanna River. She founded the McKenzie School of Aeronautics and taught ground school, often to male WWII pilots learning to be Commercial Pilots, until the birth of her second child. She was a member of Grace United Methodist in Harrisburg, PA where she met her husband in the church coed club in the 1950's and was Director of Religious Education in the 1960's. As a member of the Harrisburg Aquatic Club, she rebuilt a vintage Snipe Sailboat, The Nautilus, and spent many happy family days sailing on the Susquehanna River. Lyn married Richard B. McKenzie in 1955 and lived in New Cumberland, PA, until 1971, when they moved to Maine. Lyn was a lifelong Girl Scout: G.S. Troop Leader in five states, Service Unit Director, Camporee Director at G.S. Camps Pine Grove and Small Valley in PA, a member of the Board of Supervisors for Pennsylvania's Hemlock Council, and a member of Maine's Kennebec Council's Silver Trefoil Society. She worked as bookkeeper for Kennebec Council for many years at Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She received awards for lifetime service to the Girl Scouts from both Kennebec and Hemlock Councils. Lyn was the Historian for the Kennebec Girl Scout Council (now Girl Scouts of Maine) and is a nationally recognized Girl Scout Historian. She compiled an exceptional collection of antique-to-present-day G.S. Uniforms. Girl Scouts of all ages have enjoyed modeling her collection in hundreds of fashion shows for over 40 years. In 1987, she published a book on Girl Scouting's 75th Anniversary. Many people will remember Lyn from her almost 20 years-36 plays-as chief costumer at Portland Players Theatre in South Portland. Her favorites were the costume musicals. Lyn was Archivist of the Falmouth Historical Society, collaborating on their 2009 Arcadia book ""Images of America - Falmouth"". Her interests in history and clothing led her to present many popular lectures including the very popular ""One Hundred Hats... 1860 to 1960"" and ""What They Wore Underneath"". At age 80, Lyn published her first children's book: ""Betsy, Girl Scout of Woodword Center, 1935"" about the Depression in a small Maine town. In 2007 she published ""Lavinia's Shoes"". Recently, at age ninety, she was delighted to publish her third book ""Maine Family Stories and Poems for Reading Aloud"". Lyn is survived by her husband, Richard B. McKenzie of Falmouth, her two daughters, Meredith McKenzie of Mar Vista, CA, and Curtise McKenzie of Newark, CA. She is also survived by her three grandsons: McKenzie, Katahdin and Noah Alcus of Mar Vista, CA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Lyn's memory to the ""Lyn McKenzie Campership Fund"", allowing Girl Scouts to attend Summer Camp. Girl Scouts of Maine 138 Gannett Drive, P.O. Box 9421 South Portland, ME 04116 A celebration of her life is planned for Thursday, January 17th at 1:00 p.m., Falmouth Congregational Church, 267 Falmouth Road, Falmouth Arrangements are under the care of A.T. Hutchins Funeral and Cremation Services, 660 Brighton Ave, Portland. More information will be available at Lyn's website www.lynbooks.com or on Facebook: LynMcKenzieMaine

Evalyn Coombs McKenzie

November 10, 1922 - December 22, 2012

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