by Tom W. Dillard

The Society for Louisiana Irises lost a valued member with the death on June 18,2004 of Lynn Rae Finkel, age 60, of Battle Ground, Washington. She died of cancer.

Born on January 9, 1944 in Maryland, Lynn was the daughter of Dorothy and Joseph Kaplan. She was the second of three children, and the family moved to the west coast when Lynn was five years of age. She grew up in the Los Angeles area, and graduated from Venice High School in 1960.

 Lynn is survived by her husband, Barry, to whom she was married almost 40 years. She is mourned by two sons, Scott Jay and Jeffrey Allen, daughters-in-law Michele and Leslie, and grandson Lee Khayman Finkel.

After moving to Washington state in 1996, Lynn established Isle of View Iris Garden. She was deeply interested in horticulture and irises in particular. She served the Society for Louisiana Irises in many roles, including teaching judging schools, chairing the slide rental program, and promoting membership.

In addition to SLI, Lynn was involved in many iris activities in the Pacific Northwest and the American Iris Society. She was Assistant Regional Vice President for AIS Region 13, and she was recognized by the AIS as an accredited garden judge.

A graveside funeral service was held June 23, at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills, California, followed by a memorial service in Portland, Oregon on July 11.

In Louisiana iris circles Lynn was known for her deep interest, her keen knowledge, and most importantly, for her warm smile and generous heart.

Editor’s Note:  This article originally appeared in the SLI Newsletter in the Fall 2004 edition.