Lynda Gregor

Lynda Gregor always assumed the best in people and led with kindness. She was a helper. She brought people together. She loved to laugh, but never made a joke at someone else's expense.

She cherished family, gatherings and travel, and was happiest when those three things intersected. In 80 years she never uttered a profanity, believed to be a world record. She rarely left the house without the perfect ensemble.

Lynda died on January 31, 2025, after a long illness.

She was born Lynda Bingham on June 3, 1944, in Vallejo, to Frank and LeOra Bingham. Along with brothers Bill and Dan, the family would take road trips, frequently to visit relatives in Utah. But she loved growing up in a Navy town in the 1950s; the traditions, the stability and the togetherness of a small community near a big city. She lived in Vallejo nearly her entire life.

Lynda made lifelong friends early, developing a passion for volunteering, service and good manners. But she also enjoyed parties, Elvis Presley, and as a teen may have snuck a friend or two inside the local drive-in theater. (The only example of law-breaking anyone in her family is aware of.)

Lynda met Dennis Gregor on a blind date in 1964, they were married in 1966, and she kept him in line for most of the next 58 years. Their marriage was often like a 1940s romantic comedy, filled with repartee, and Lynda showing a stoic patience for Dennis' playful teasing. They bantered daily and argued infrequently. During those rare arguments Lynda remained undefeated.

Lynda raised their three children - Matt, then Kelly, then Scott - often while Dennis was traveling for work to the Central Valley. As the kids became independent she built her own career as an operating room nurse at Richmond Hospital and Vallejo Kaiser, and then as a flight attendant for United Airlines.

As much as Dennis and Lynda were a love connection, his Marriott Reward Points and her United Airlines miles were a pairing for the ages. Dennis and Lynda traveled frequently and spontaneously, often using their gazillion accumulated points to include the family.

Lynda loved her girlfriends, her dogs and especially her grandchildren. She spent much of her retirement caring for them to help her children, and thought it was the best job in the world, embracing her new name "Grammy." She saw the best in all of her grandkids; and if they grossly misbehaved she'd still cover for them, giving the same report every time. ("They had such a good day!")

Lynda showed up early. She made things better. She shined in a classroom full of children, where she often volunteered. She was kind to strangers. And when a cruel battle with Alzheimer's made almost everyone in her life a stranger, that kindness never waned. Lynda was always happy to see you, even in the months and weeks before the end.

Lynda is preceded in death by her husband Dennis and her loving parents Frank and LeOra. She's survived by her brothers Dan Bingham and Bill (Arlene) Bingham, children Matt (Andrea) Gregor, Kelly (Peter) Hartlaub, Scott (Gloria) Gregor and grandchildren Olivia, Theo, Holly, Milo, Callahan and twins Madison and Nolan. She's also survived by dozens of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

A service is set for 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 13 at Cal Maritime Academy.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a donation to the Alzheimer's Association located in San Rafael.

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