Lynn McCann

Few people have shown such zest for life as Lynn McCann, 106, of Rochester, who passed away Oct. 12, 2013, contrary to his recently announced plans to live to age 115.

Born Francis Lynn McCann on Jan. 9, 1907, in Portland, Ore., Lynn had a citified early childhood filled with playing baseball at the local park and selling newspapers on downtown street corners, which he bought for one cent each and sold for two cents. Lynn had already developed a solid work ethic with a balanced love of sports and recreational activities that distinguished him the rest of his life. After his family homesteaded in Gillette, Wyo., when he was 9, he found himself, as the oldest son, hand-plowing large fields by himself after school, taking on rattlesnakes that crossed his path. He finished high school in Portland, competing in football, baseball and cross country. He attended Whitman College in Portland and moved to Minnesota in 1934, working initially for the Hoyt Spices Company, and in 1935 marrying Loraine Howey, of Bruno. She was a Macalester College graduate and high school math teacher. They had three children and were married 51 years until Loraine passed away in 1986. In 1993, he married Garnett Hulett of Rochester, who passed away in 1998.

Lynn held several sales jobs over the years, including Pepsi Cola, Old Dutch, Nicollet Cleaners, and Sunshine Biscuits, which brought him to Rochester in 1957. He bowled in numerous leagues at the Colonial and Recreation alleys shortly after coming to Rochester and bowled continuously in leagues until age 98 in 2005. When he reached normal retirement age at 65, he simply changed jobs, working for Adamson Chevrolet, Virgil's Auto, and then beginning a sales job with Newton Manufacturing Company. 

He worked for Newton for 40 years past retirement, until his death, with the assistance of his son Robert in later years. Lynn lived the life he wanted to live, doing what was most important to him: time with the family he loved, doing the work he loved, and enthusiastically competing in the sport he loved, bowling. In 1999, he was inducted into the Rochester Bowling Association Hall of Fame for his pioneer achievements to the sport of bowling, an achievement that was recognized by the American Bowling Congress.   

Lynn McCann is survived by his three children, Robert McCann and his wife Ginny of Minneapolis, John McCann of San Antonio, Texas, and Sharon McCann Maybarduk and husband Gary of Washington, DC, and stepson Daniel Hulett of Rochester.  He is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren who are living in Poland, Maine, the District of Columbia, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado and California. 

There will be a graveside service at Grandview Memorial Gardens at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by a 2 p.m. celebration of Lynn's life at Colonial Lanes, 1828 14th St. N.W. The celebration of life will be an informal sharing of stories regarding Lynn by anyone who has known him over his 56 years living in Rochester, at a bowling alley where he spent so many fun-filled hours.