Lynne Anne Baum

Lynne was truly the human form of love and light.  She radiated pure love and positive energy.  From childhood Lynne had an innate ability to see into someone’s soul and know exactly how they needed to be loved. It was her superpower. She was always unapologetically, unabashedly, and authentically herself. She was a natural born nurturer.  She loved unapologetically, with every ounce of her being with that big beautiful heart.  Not the gushy, squishy kind of love.  The gritty, I will sit in the muck with you kind of love. Time nor distance would not make her love falter.  She may have to send her love and light from afar, but she never stopped loving.  It did not matter if you were a stranger, she loved you, and she would have, and did, give you her last dollar or the literal shirt off of her back.  If you needed her, she would be there. So many of us felt inadequate around her and knew she loved us but never understood why.  It was because she knew we were all worth loving. 

Lynne was funny.  More than funny, she was hilarious.  She had a way with words and telling a story.  She had the best one liners, zingers, and comebacks.  She was a spitfire.  Every moment spent with her was an adventure.  She lived every single moment. 

Lynne was the most open-minded, least judgmental human the majority of us have ever met. She stood firm and strong in her beliefs.  She never wavered.  She never backed down.  From anyone.  She believed in and fought for love, equality, compassion, empathy, and justice.  She didn’t just talk the talk, she walked the walk.  She walked it so effortlessly.  The diversity of all of those she leaves behind who feel the weight of her loss is testament to this.  She touched and changed so many lives around the world just by being Lynne.  

As much as Lynne loved her friends, she loved her family the most.  She was the light in all of our worlds, but they were the light in hers.  The world is a little darker now without Lynne shining so bright in it, but hers, will no doubt, be the brightest star in the sky to light up our darkest of nights.  #LoveLikeLynne

Lynne was preceded in death by Jimmy Potts.  She is survived by her soulmate and husband Matt, children, Laken, Dylan, Ava, and Alexandria Rogers (Alex Shaddix), grandchildren Zoe Shaddix and Liam Shaddix, parents Dwight and Joanne McBrayer, sister Kim Parton (John), brother, Tommy McBrayer (Teresa), her lifelong friend and chosen sister Stephanie Spears, a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and so many friends and loved ones she considered family.