Edmund Russell Lynn Jr.

02/21/1943 - 02/22/2026

E. Russell "Rusty" Lynn, Jr., 83, of Arlington, Virginia, died February 22, 2026, following colon surgery. He is survived by his husband, Edward Blanton of Arlington; and a brother Eric Lynn of Kansas City, Kansas. The son and grandson of Presbyterian pastors, "Rusty" was graduated from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1965, and McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago in 1969. He was ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church and began working in arts ministry in Alexandria, Virginia. He did consulting work in Christian education and served in churches in New Jersey and the Washington area. In 1978 he left parish ministry and in 1980 received a Master of Social Work degree from Catholic University and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. During the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, he joined the staff of the Whitman-Walker Clinic and worked in AIDS Services. In 1983 "Rusty" began working at the Falls Church Presbyterian Church where he served as a parish associate for many years. In 2008 he retired as a pastoral counselor from the Center for Pastoral Counseling of Virginia. An artist at heart, "Rusty" then resumed his love of art and maintained a studio at the Falls Church Presbyterian Church.
"Rusty" and Ed made a commitment to each other in 1984 and made their home in Arlington. In March 2015 the Presbyterian Church modified the Book of Order to allow same-sex marriage, and the following June the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Obergefell decision extending federal recognition to same-sex marriages. A few weeks later, "Rusty" and Ed were married by the Reverend Dr. David Ensign, then-pastor of the Clarendon Presbyterian Church in Arlington.
A memorial service for "Rusty" will be held Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 2:15 pm at the Falls Church Presbyterian Church, 225 East Broad Street, Falls Church, Virginia. "Rusty's" art will be displayed, and everyone is invited to take a piece of Rusty's art home.