Robert Douglas Lynd's Obituary
Robert (“Bob”) Douglas Lynd, 69, of Aldie, Virginia passed away on Monday, July 13, 2015.
Born September 29, 1945 in Selkirk, Canada, he was the son of the late Langtry Emmett Lynd and the late Violet May Lynd. Robert is survived by his wife Janet Elizabeth Lynd of Aldie, VA; his sons, James Robert Lynd, David Andrew Lynd, and Eric Douglas Lynd, as well as Eric’s wife Lacey Lynd (all of Northern Virginia); his sister Catherine Lynd (of Somerset, New Jersey); and his three grandsons Jacob George Lynd, Robert Josiah Lynd, and Lewis William Lynd.
Bob was a corporate law attorney, a United States Marine, a brother of the Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity, a member of the Arcola Volunteer Fire Department, and a member of Arcola United Methodist Church.
When he was two, Bob’s family moved from Selkirk, Canada to Plainfield, New Jersey where he and his family lived and he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. It was in Plainfield that he met his future wife, Janet, while attending North Plainfield High School; they would marry in 1968 and remained committed to each other for 46 years.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Bucknell University in 1967, Bob attended Georgetown Law School. Upon earning his Juris Doctorate, he served as in-house counsel for C&P Telephone Company, now Verizon, for over 30 years. After retiring as a Vice President in 2003, Bob and Janet briefly moved to Washington, NC, but returned to Northern Virginia in 2008 to be closer to their sons and grandchildren.
Bob’s enrollment at Georgetown was interrupted after the second year due to his service as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. After three years of service, he was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1972.
It was at Bucknell where Bob became of a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. As an undergraduate, Bob served in various leadership roles for the chapter, including President, Treasurer, and Social Chair. Later in life, he was a member of the fraternity’s National Board of Directors for 24 years, more than half of them as the National President. Bob also served on the Board of the North-American Interfraternity Conference (“NIC”) for 8 years, also serving as its President for one year. He believed strongly in the promise and value of the entire fraternal movement and his dedication was unwavering.
Bob was active within his community and was the consummate example of what it meant to be “your Brother’s keeper.” Bob’s volunteerism was a life-long passion, his contributions to the many communities he lived in are far too extensive to fully list, but his work over the past decade provides a window into Bob’s many interests and pursuits.
Bob volunteered for many years with the Arcola Volunteer Fire Department, serving as Secretary and utilizing his administrative acumen to ensure excellent operations of the department so it could best serve the community. In addition, he was very active within the Arcola United Methodist Church, assisting with numerous ministry activities. He also supported Gum Spring library in Aldie, served as an Assistant Precinct Chief for the Loudoun County Election Board, and was appointed to several Loudoun County government committees.
Beyond this long list of achievements, Bob was always “family first.” He and Janet raised three sons who all graduated from Virginia Tech and obtained post-graduate degrees. Bob was a constant presence in his boys’ lives, rarely missing a school or sporting event, supporting or coaching their athletic teams, and visiting them at college as often as possible. In addition, he served as the Scout Master, Assistant Scout Master, and other adult roles while the boys were members the Boy Scouts of America Troop 871.
It was Bob’s character, integrity, and grace that made the greatest impression on those of who knew him. Bob greeted every person he met as if they were life-long friends. In tributes to him he has been called friend, coach, mentor, confidant, “brother”, and “father.”
Bob's memorial service was held on Saturday, August 1 at the Arcola Methodist Church, located at 24757 Evergreen Mill Road, Dulles, VA 20166. There was a visitation at 11:00 am with the memorial service starting at noon.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to any of the following organizations:
• The Robert D. Lynd Memorial Scholarship of KDR: To donate, please visit www.kdrfoundation.org, click on the “Donate Now” link or send a check to 331 S. Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601. Gifts should be designated to the “Robert D. Lynd Memorial Scholarship.”
• Arcola United Methodist Church (UMC): Donations may be mailed to Arcola United Methodist Church, 24757 Evergreen Mills Road, Dulles, Virginia 20166 or visit www.arcolachurch.org/giving. Donations can be made “In memory of Bob Lynd.”
• Capital Caring Adler In-Patient Center (hospice): Donations may be mailed 24419 Millstream Dr., Aldie, VA 20105. In the memo section please write in: “This is for Adler Center IPU.”
• Arcola Volunteer Fire Department (VFD): Donations may be mailed to Arcola Volunteer Fire Department, Attn: Treasurer, 42395 Ryan Rd., Suite #112-809, Brambleton, VA 20148 or visit http://www.arcolavfd.org/#!fundraising/crx7. Donations can be made “In memory of Bob Lynd.”
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