Tom Lynner

1944 - 2017

Tom Lynner

Norwalk

Tom Lynner of Norwalk, 73, died August 2, 2017, at his home after living with cancer for two years.

Visitation will be at Dunn's Chapel, 2121 Grand Avenue in Des Moines, from 4:00-7:00pm on Monday August 7. Services, also at Dunn's, will be at 1:00pm on Tuesday August 8, with burial at Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines and a reception at Wakonda Club.

Darwin T. Lynner, Jr. (Tom) was born January 13, 1944, in Miami Florida to Darwin T. Lynner, Sr., and Ruth Lynner. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines and Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. He earned master's and doctoral degrees from the State University of New York in Buffalo.

In 1966 he married Carolyn (Chamberlain) Lynner and together they raised sons Eric and Andrew in Des Moines. In 1994 he and Linda Godwin began their life together and blended their families of two sons and three daughters.

Tom and Linda built a large extended family and enjoyed engaging in spirited conversation, along with fine Scotch, wine and cigars. They enjoyed reading, eating good food, listening to music and traveling to their second home in Arizona. Throughout his life Tom loved golfing, biking and driving nice cars, but was also proud of providing jobs and housing for many people. He and Linda loved working in their flower garden.

Tom was the consummate teacher and storyteller. He was a voracious reader and could converse on many topics, from physics and the National Football League to literature and the Bible. He was strong and confident, but also humble in heart. Words such as integrity and kindness describe his spirit.

Most of all, his family wants him to be remembered as quietly generous and a thinker.

Tom worked as a copy editor at The Des Moines Register and taught at Drake University before joining Darwin T. Lynner Co., Inc., in 1976, a company founded by his father and now operated by his sons.

He served on boards of the Iowa Finance Authority, Investment Management Group and Humanities Iowa. In addition, he was on the boards and was president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines and treasurer of Wakonda Club. He was a member of Leadership Iowa.

In what he considered a crowning achievement, Tom and James Autry spearheaded the founding of the Des Moines National Poetry Festival, which debuted in 1991 and ran for 16 years. It brought established, world-class poets to read in Des Moines and to go into schools to offer programs to students. As Autry says, "Tom and I both thought it was the most notable community work we ever did."

Tom was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Linda Godwin of Norwalk; sons Eric and Andrew Lynner, both of Des Moines; step-daughters Kate (David) Williams of Earlham, Kyle (Paul) Olson and Kelsey (Brandon) Mandrell of Des Moines; sisters Lucia Nevai of Albany, New York, and Nancy Lynner (Joe Goldblatt) of Edinburgh, Scotland, brother Brian (Lisa) Lynner of Des Moines; grandchildren Eva, Audrey, Alec, Reed, Rowan, Luke and Paul, and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

The family is grateful to the doctors, caregivers, friends and associates who have offered comfort to Tom.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested to American Cancer Society, PO Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123 (prostate research); HCI Hospice Care Services, 3000 Easton Blvd., Des Moines, IA 50317, or the Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312.