Lyn Grubbs

1931 - 2010

Lyn Grubbs, 79, passed away November 25, 2010, at her home in Shalimar, Fla. She was born Jan 6, 1931, in Montclair, N.J., to Noah Donald and Phoebe Hudson Craig Gridley. Lyn was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Craig West Gridley.
Lyn is survived by her loving husband, Haydon Y. Grubbs, Jr.; one daughter, Kimberly S. Grubbs of Grass Valley, Calif.; one son, Haydon Young, III of Fort Walton Beach, FL; sister-in-law, Charis Gridley of Oakwood, Ohio; nieces, Pamela McGinnis and husband, Carlo, of Oakwood, Ohio; Jane Cote and husband, James, of Dayton, Ohio; and, Ann Cook and husband, Andrew, of Grosse Point, Mich.; Aunt, Peg Craig, of Middletown, R.I.; She is also survived by her two dachshunds, Lucy and Barney, who gave her great comfort and joy.
Lyn, her brother Craig, and sister-in-law Charis, all attended the same High School in Montclair, N.J., where Buzz Aldrin of the First Lunar Landing also attended. Lyn and her family moved to Ferndale, Michigan when she was 15. She was art editor for her High School newspaper and yearbook and created many of the illustrations in them. She went to Western Michigan Univ. where she joined the Sigma Kappa Sorority. She left home to attend and graduate from the "Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM)" in New York City, N.Y. LIM is renowned as the best in fashion design and marketing in the country. Lyn returned to Michigan to be director of the J.L. Hudson Dept. store fashion bureau in Detroit, Mich.
Lyn and Haydon met at West Point when she was visiting her brother, Craig, who was a classmate of Haydon's. It was love at first sight and they were married after his graduation on December 26, 1953. She traveled with him to his pilot training base in Hondo, Texas, and to the many USAF bases where they were stationed. She was a terrific Air Force wife, always involved with Officer's wives clubs and base activities. When Haydon was in B-29 Pilot training and headed for Korea with his bomber crew, she returned to Michigan to live with her parents and work at the J.L. Hudson Co. After he returned, they were stationed at Hanscom FLD Air Base near Boston, Mass. She worked at Filine's Dept Store in downtown Boston taking the MTA each day.
After their children were born, Lyn devoted herself full time to raising them and being a loving wife and homemaker. When they moved to Huntsville, AL, where Haydon worked with NASA, she embraced the St. Thomas Episcopal Church where she was confirmed. When they moved and lived in Plymouth, Mich., she was very active at the local Episcopal Church working on the altar guild. They moved to Shalimar, Fla., in 1970 and have remained in the area ever since. Lyn was an active member of the Fort Walton Yacht Club, Billy Bowlegs and were on the Honor Guard and was historian for Panhellenic.
While she was working at J.C. Penney's, David Howell, Gayfer's Manager, hired her as Fashion Director and public relations for the new Gayfer's Dept Store at Santa Rosa Mall. They opened the store and worked together for 17 years until her retirement. Lyn created, directed and produced fashion shows, organized the Gayfer's Career Club and the Gayfer's teen board. Teens from the local High Schools made up the board. Each year, Lyn produced a seven act Broadway Production back-to-school stage show. Teen board members from each school would choreograph their own acts using Gayfer's clothes and accessories. She also taught "White Gloves and Party Manners" at Gayfers.
Lyn kept up her art work producing numerous pencil and watercolor sketches, drawings and paintings. She took classes at Univ. of West Florida, under director and dear friend Barbara Smith's Program. Lyn loved to entertain with small dinner or cocktail parties with our many friends. She was a generous donor to several 100 animals and charitable organizations including elephant and horse farms, whales, gorillas---you name it she donated to it.
Lyn and her family express deep gratitude to all her friends who provided comfort, prayers and sympathy to her. In particular, the wonderful St. Simon's Ministers, and dear friends at St. Simon's and Resurrection, the Emerald Coast Hospice nurses and social workers, Panhellenic members who were keeping close tabs on her, the Home Instead personnel and care givers loving support; and, to the professional, quality and dedication of the doctors, nurses and support personnel at the Fort Walton Beach Oncology Center, Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, and White Wilson Medical Center.
The family will receive friends on Monday, November 29, 2010 from 6 to 8 P.M. at Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road, N.E., Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547, 850-864-3361.
A memorial service will be Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 11 A.M. with the Rev. Mark Fitzhugh officiating at St. Simon's on the Sound Episcopal Church, Interment will be held at St. Simon's Columbarium Memorial. Contributions may be made to your favorite charity, Hospice or American Cancer Society.
Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at www.emeraldcoastfuneralhome.com.