Remembering Lyn van Lidth de Jeude

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Lyn, with long straight white hair and hands full of colourful rhododendron flowers, smiles lovingly at her golden retriever dog, seated among a field of small flowers.
Our mother and life partner, a lover of song and beauty. A singer, a gardener, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, teacher, and creator and spreader of love, died peacefully on September 18th 2024, five months after receiving her brain tumour diagnosis.

Lyn van Lidth de Jeude helped raise countless children in her 40 year career as an early childhood educator, infant development consultant, and music therapist. Through her dedication and constant love for every child in her care, Lyn worked tirelessly to ensure that they all started off with a strong foundation.

While you may not have guessed it, Lyn was born in Daytona Beach Florida, and a piece of her identity was her deep ranching roots in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Her father Horatio Ham, an engineer, moved the family of 5 kids many times until the final move north to West Vancouver. Once here, Lyn attended West Van High and Capilano College ending with a degree in music therapy.

Music was always a fundamental part of her life. From her many many years with the Vancouver folk song society to her participation in Bowen Island choirs (the Madrigals, Song Roots, and the Community Choir). She also instilled the love of music in her children and shared her songs whenever she could.

Lyn and her husband Everhard moved to Bowen Island in 1978. As she engaged in life with her young family, Lyn quickly grew to love her community and developed deep friendships, choosing to see her friends as family and treating them as such.

In 1993, the family moved to the interior, where Lyn worked as a music therapist and infant development consultant in Kamloops. Lyn and Everhard returned to Bowen Island in 2006, where Lyn again joined the Bowen Children's Centre, with a desire to give back to her own community.

Throughout her life it was most important to love, help, and respect people who needed it. From volunteering at the Nook or the Recycling Depot, the Garden Club or the Conservancy, or delivering food for the Legion, or the countless other community endeavours, Lyn loved to help.

She is survived by her family and many, many friends.

Shortly before she died, Lyn dictated the following message, which she asked us to pass on to her loved ones after her death:

For the people I love,
My time is finished, now. I would like you to know how much you mean to me. I have appreciated the connections and love we’ve shared. I hope you will continue to find beauty in the world.
Lyn




More links, videos and photos for those who might want to spend some time remembering the beauty that was Lyn:

Obituary from the Vancouver Folksong Society: Remembering Lyn van Lidth de Jeude

Lyn singing with her children at Princeton Traditional Music Festival

Singing Canadian folksongs with her granddaughter's class. :-)

Lyn reading a farm equipment catalogue with her grandson.

 
Lyn with her father, Horatio Ham




With baby Adrian and dog Chis Chila at Bowen Bay


 Butchering rabbits
 
 
 


Playing mountain dulcimer at the Vancouver Folksong Society retreat

 
 

At work at Kamloops Infant Development Society
 
 
With her grandchildren

 
Performing a traditional Appalachian ballad at Princeton Traditional Music Festival







 
Thank you for remembering our beautiful Lyn. If you would like to leave thoughts or memories in the comments, please do. To avoid spam, we're approving all comments, which may take hours or days. But we promise we'll get to it! 🧡

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