Helene "Lane" Martin

HELENE "LANE" MARTIN, a devoted mother, grandmother, educator, and fiercely competitive board game enthusiast, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2025, in Falls Church, Virginia. She was 74. Born in Bermuda on December 14th, 1950 to Malcolm and June Martin (nee Ridgway), Lane spent her early years on the island attending Warwick Academy.At twelve, she left Bermuda to attend Miss Hall's School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. After graduating in 1967, she spent a year at the Villa de L'Assumption in Paris, and graduated cum laude from Briarcliff College in 1972. She began her career teaching at the Buckley School in New York City and later earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1981.After marrying Seth Lynn Jr. in 1978 and starting a family stateside, Lane remained deeply committed to education - especially her children's. A proud and playful mother, she often rewarded good grades with a wink and her father's signature phrase: "Keeping 'em fooled!" After her children were grown, she continued to nurture young minds as a tutor.Long before remote work and digital nomads became the norm, Lane lived a life in motion, splitting her time between Bermuda, Costa Rica, and the U.S., always chasing warm weather, healthy food, and good company. Few people could match Lane at the game table. As a young woman, she was a backgammon world championship finalist, and later became an avid Scrabble competitor, traveling to tournaments around the world. Lane also had a lifelong interest in evolving dietary trends, and her dedication to the art of the blended fruit-smoothie helped her refine what became her grandson's favorite (sugar-free) treat. And while she might begin a meal with gluten-free or plant-based intentions, she could rarely resist sampling the tastiest-looking dish.Though she lived much of her life abroad, Lane remained deeply Bermudian at heart. She refused to swim in water colder than 84 degrees, often mocking what she called "the New England tradition of pretending it's swimming weather." Her favorite place in the world (other than wherever her grandchildren happened to be) was on the terrace at the Coral Beach Club, enjoying the warm breeze and gazing out at the ocean below.She is survived by her children, LtCol Seth Lynn III and Ashley Lynn Pacheco, her grandchildren, Connor Lynn, Zoe Lynn, George Pacheco, and Lily Pacheco; and her siblings, Van, Steve, Holly, and Mark Martin. A burial service will be held at 10am on July 26th at the National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia. A larger memorial is being planned in Bermuda this fall.