Lynn Payton

Lynn Payton died on March 31, 2023; she was 90 years old. Her family was present, supporting and loving her, and easing her transition with the help of the dedicated Hospice nurses. She leaves her brother, 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Lynn was a guiding presence, supporting and influencing her family through the years. Her childhood was lonely, she and her sister were boarded at Shady Creek Farm for 4 years when she was very young. She said, "I loved being a mother, recreating my own lost childhood through my children." Lynn wrote and published 3 books of poetry and memoirs, which she said she wrote so her family would know their history.

Lynn married Stan Payton and started her family at 17. She and Stan raised her brother, Stephen Parsons, and had 4 children, Jenny, Michael, Patrick and Susan Payton. At 35 she got her GED and went on to graduate from San Francisco State with a teaching credential. When she retired from teaching, and after the death of her husband and daughter, Susan, Lynn traveled in her RV around the West enjoying the adventure and meeting other free spirits on the road.

Lynn and Stan lived for many years in San Anselmo, where they raised their family. They moved to San Rafael near Gallinas Creek where she continued her life-long love of gardening and hiking. The last years of Lynn's life were spent at the Redwoods in Mill Valley where she made good friends and enjoyed being part of the community. She loved her apartment that looked out on the Marsh. She enjoyed the birds, her small garden and the hummingbirds that visited.

A Memorial will be held on Mount Tamalpais this summer, per her request. Lynn spent many happy years hiking with friends and enjoying the beauty of the mountain.

Published in North Bay Bohemian · April 24, 2023