Mary Lynn O'Day

North Richland Hills - Mary Lynn O'Day, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt passed away on Saturday, January 11, 2020.

Memorial Service: 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 18, 2020, at City Point United Methodist Church, 7301 Glenview Drive, Richland Hills, Texas, 76180. Reception at the church immediately following the service.

Memorials: Memorial gifts may be made to ACH Child and Family Services, 3712 Wichita Street, Ft. Worth, TX 76119, www.achservices.org , or United Community Centers, 3900 Meadowbrook Drive, Suite 122, Ft. Worth, TX 76103, www.unitedcommunitycenters.org .

Lynn was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on November 21, 1938, to Alliene and Norvell Mullendore. Lynn grew up in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of Fort Worth and graduated from Polytechnic High School, where she excelled as a student, tennis player, and violinist. She attended the University of Texas at Austin and was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority (in which she remained active throughout her life). While in college, Lynn (a tall and beautiful coed), met her future husband Nat on a blind date arranged by friends. Nat, an Army aviator, was in flight training school in Mineral Wells and Lynn happened to be home in Fort Worth for the weekend. When Lynn's mother looked out the front window and saw 6 foot 3 inch Nat coming to the door for the date, she told Lynn to go change into her high heels! They quickly fell in love.

Lynn left U.T. to marry Nat in 1959 and to embark on the adventure of being the wife of an Army officer. Nat and Lynn moved to Stuttgart, Germany where they celebrated their first Christmas together, and daughter Robin was born the next year. Their next assignments brought them to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey and Fort Benning, Georgia where they were blessed with sons Steve and Tim. Nat's first tour of Viet Nam was in 1966, and Lynn and the children moved to Fort Worth to be near family. It was during that year that Lynn completed her degree in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington (while also being a single parent for three children under 5 years old). Three wonderful years in Hawaii followed, when Nat was assigned to Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu.

Nat then got orders for Vietnam again. Prior to leaving for his second tour in 1969, Nat and Lynn purchased their home in North Richland Hills where they would live together for almost 50 years, raising their family and making an impact on their community. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Lynn was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend and volunteer. Through the years, she had several interesting jobs, including work as a flag designer, substitute teacher, and reference librarian. But her real passion, other than her family, was helping her community and making a difference in the lives of others. She was a devoted volunteer, supporting numerous organizations including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, ACH Child and Family Services, and United Community Centers. She was a member of the Executive Board of the Texas Association of Symphony Orchestras and served as its president. For many years she was a member of the Fort Worth Symphony Association Board of Directors and Executive Committee. She also worked tirelessly as a member of the Fort Worth Symphony League, including serving as its president and Oktoberfest Chairman. Lynn gave unselfishly of her time as a member of the Board of Directors of the All Church Home for Children and the United Community Centers Foundation. She also volunteered as a member of the North Richland Hills Library Board for years. Lynn was a very active member of City Point United Methodist Church (formerly Richland Hills United Methodist Church) for 50 years, participating in the United Methodist Women, Circle and Bible study.

Nat and Lynn shared a love of music and enjoyed attending Fort Worth Symphony concerts at Bass Hall, the Van Cliburn piano competitions, and Concerts in the Garden. In recent years they discovered they were a great team for doing jig saw puzzles and enjoyed that time together. Lynn loved talking sports with her son Steve, checking in with son Tim almost daily during his commute to work, and Sunday nail appointments and dinners with daughter Robin.

Lynn was a great friend and loved to have fun. She enjoyed spending time with her friends playing bridge, Bunco, Mahjong, and monthly lunches with the Birthday Group. Friends and family alike enjoyed her quick wit and quirky humor.

One of the greatest joys of her life was being "Gram Lynn" to her grandchildren, Kelly, Michael and Kyrah. Lynn was a role model for her children and grandchildren, showing by example how to live life with a generous and loving heart. She will be greatly missed, but her kind and compassionate spirit shines through the countless lives she touched.

Survivors: Lynn is survived by her husband Nat O'Day, daughter Robin Dettmer, son Steve O'Day, son Tim O'Day and wife Tammy, sister Kay Granger, grandchildren Kelly Dettmer, Michael Dettmer and Kyrah O'Day, and a host of nieces, nephews, friends, and extended family members.