Lynn Uhl

1948 - 2025

Lynn (Hannold) Uhl, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on Tuesday, June 25, 2025, after a brief illness. She was surrounded by her family, her husband Frank, her sister Sharon (Hannold) Dubiel and her husband Ray, her son Michael and his wife Lea (Bish), and her son David and his wife Mercedes (Stoneberg). She was the proud grandmother of four (perfect) grandchildren: Colin and Gillian (Michael and Lea) and Thomas and Aurora (David and Mercedes).

Daughter of Michael and Florence (Kirkwood) Hannold, Lynn and her sister Sharon grew up near Clarion, PA. Lynn graduated from Clarion High School in 1966 and Clarion University in 1970. Later in life, Lynn earned a master's degree from Penn State (World Campus).

Lynn was dedicated to books and stories, and served as the elementary school librarian in the Brockway Area School District. She held the position before the birth of her first child and returned to the role over a decade later, bringing to a close what she loved to tell people was the "world's longest maternity leave." During that "maternity leave" she honed her skills as a storyteller, appearing in elementary school classrooms all over the area to tell stories. Many area residents likely recall Lynn telling the stories of "The Elephant's Child" and "The Cat That Walked by Himself" (Kipling) or the "Turkey Story". Upon returning to the school, Lynn focused on modernizing the collection and the library itself - so that students could come to know the same love of books that she had herself.

She also used her "maternity leave" to help folks grow their own families. During the 1980s, Lynn served as a childbirth instructor with the DuBois Area Prepared Childbirth Association (DAPCA). She taught many expecting mothers (and their partners) how to breathe through their contractions and be prepared for a natural childbirth. As her own children grew older, Lynn supported them in their activities, serving as a Cub Scout leader and joining the Brockway Band Boosters. There she made many close and lasting friendships, and learned while sewing flags, that "It doesn't have to be perfect, they'll never see it from the stands."

Lynn was a natural people person, and loved to talk with anyone and everyone - and to throw a good party for folks. She loved to have a big Fourth of July picnic for her family and friends, and for years held post-holiday parties for her friends in January. Truth be told, Lynn loved an excuse to decorate - regardless of the holiday (her family believed her to be part magpie) - and had decorations for almost every holiday that were dutifully put up and taken down with the changes of season. Her children and grandchildren all know to be careful of the tree in the dining room holding the hand blown glass ornaments themed to the holiday at hand - many of these ornaments having been gifted to her by her beloved cousin, Jolene.

Her family was her greatest love: her sister, her husband, their children, their children's spouses, and her grandchildren. She included among her family the lifelong friends (and their children) that she and Frank had made.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Monday July 7 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Tobias Church in Brockway, with Msgr. Charles Kaza officiating.

The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to the American Library Association's "Show Up for Our Libraries" fund. The Shugarts Funeral Home Inc. of Brockway is handling the arrangements. Online condolences may be left at csfhinc.com.