Lynn S. Lightner

1934 - 2025

Lynn S. Lightner

April 27, 1934 - January 16, 2025

LINCOLN - Lynn S. Lightner, 90, of Lincoln passed away on January 16, 2025. He was born in St. Edward, NE, April 27, 1934, to Frank S. and Emma K. (Landan) Lightner. He joined siblings Corinne and Jim and spent his growing-up years enjoying the freedom and friendships that life in a small town brought.

Upon graduation from St. Edward High School, Lynn moved to Lincoln, where he attended the University of Nebraska and became a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He graduated from the University in 1957 with a B.S. in Architectural Engineering. Lynn renewed his Professional Engineering License many times over his life, most recently in 2023 at age 89. Following several years with the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education, Lynn began his 45+ year career with Kingery Construction, Lincoln, NE. During his time with Kingery, Lynn managed an extensive list of projects, including the Lancaster County Hall of Justice and numerous buildings on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, including the Beadle Center and the Lied Center for the Performing Arts. His family is proud to be able to point out the many ways Lynn impacted the Lincoln cityscape through his work as an engineer.

Lynn gave back to his community through his involvement with organizations that dovetailed with his passions of running and biking, particularly the Lincoln Track Club and the Nebraska Trails Foundation.

The Lincoln Track Club began as an idea discussed around a kitchen table in 1972, becoming an incorporated 501(c)3 in 1975. Lynn served as President of the Lincoln Track Club and was the first Race Director of the Lincoln Marathon. He acted as a race director for numerous races over the years and certified the distances for road racecourses in Lincoln and around the state. He also served as an official for the University of Nebraska Track and Field events for 17 years and was inducted into the Husker Track and Field Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2003.

Lynn was also the co-founder and a Past Treasurer of the Nebraska Trails Foundation (est. 1989). Beginning in 2007 he designed and managed the building of 12 bridges on the Homestead Recreational Trail. He was the Trail Superintendent of the Homestead Trail for 25 years, and was instrumental in helping return ownership of 19.5 miles of that trail, now known as the Chief Standing Bear Trail, to the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. Lynn was also a past Board Member of the Great Plains Trail Network. He received numerous awards in recognition of his tireless work to create and care for the trails including: 2005 and 2007 Trail Boss Award from the Nebraska Trails Foundation, 2007 Tributary Award, from the Lower South Platte Natural Resources District, 2016 Golden Spike Award from the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Homestead Conservation & Trails Association Foundation, and the Nebraska Trails Foundation, 2018 The Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions Award, presented by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, In 2017, he accepted the Chief Standing Bear Organizational Award on behalf of the Nebraska Trails Foundation. This award recognized the NTF's historic gifting of 19.5 miles of developed hiker/biker trails which follow the route of the Ponca Tribe on their 1877 relocation journey.

Lynn also served a 4-year term on the Lower Platte South National Resources District (1998); was a Past Chair of the Lincoln Building Codes Committee; Past President of the Normandy Square Neighborhood Association (Lincoln); a member of the United Methodist Church of Green Valley, AZ, and a member of the Sheriff's Auxiliary Volunteers, Green Valley, Arizona.

Throughout his life, Lynn brought people together, uniting them for a common good, and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the large and loving family he built over the course of his lifetime. On September 3, 1957, Lynn married Lynne Lueders. Together he and Lynne celebrated the births of their three children, Shelley, Nanette, and Kenneth. Lynn gained three daughters, Julie, Debra, and Laurie, when he married Beverly (Howland) Cirksena on December 18, 1969. His family was lovingly expanded again when he and Sharon Williams married on May 3, 1991, adding her children Kevin Blunt and Karmin Wilson. Life with "Big Dad" was always an adventure. Whether it was driving the old six-door airport limousine to Colorado to ski, boating at the Fremont Lakes, running a road race, trying to keep up with him on a wild bike ride or just running an errand, one thing was for certain. There would be a funny story or two to share at the end!

Left behind to cherish his memory are Sharon (Williams) Lightner; Shelley (Thomas) Thorpe; Nanette (Charles) Burk; Ken (Lisa) Lightner, all of Lincoln; Julie (John) McClure, Columbus, NE; Deb (Sändra Washington) Cirksena, Lincoln; Laurie Dimakos, Chicago, Tami Blunt, Stanton, IA, Karmin (Jim Ellinger) Wilson, China Spring, Texas, Brother James (Janice) Lightner, grandchildren T.J. (Kiley) Thorpe; Jennifer (Ryan) Ferretti; William (Veronica) Thorpe; Shane Stanard, Morgan Emma (Brandon) Wooster; Andrew (Megan) McClure, Katherine McClure, Joseph McClure, Madeline (Ben) Trofholz, Paige Dimakos, Jared Dimakos, Bella Washington, Gage Wilson, Easton Blunt, Shane (Jessica) Miller, Justin (Katie) Miller, 15 great grandchildren and many nieces, nephews.

Lynn was preceded in death by his parents Frank S. and Emma K. Lightner, sister Corinne Cumming, brother-in-law, Lyle Cumming, sister-in-law Edith Lightner, grandson Nicholas Lightner, nephew Kent Cumming, and stepson Kevin Blunt.

Memorial service: 3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 25, 2025, Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Drive.

Visitation with family present from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, January 24, 2025, Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel.

Memorials may be directed to Nebraska Trails Foundation, 5935 S. 56th St., Suite A, Lincoln NE 68516, Lynn Lightner Memorial Fund, Lincoln Track Club, P.O. Box 80296, Lincoln, NE 68501, Lynn Lightner Memorial Fund.

Condolences online at Roperandsons.com.