Lynne Florence (Hinkel) Lipsey, of Lawrence, died on Sunday, January 10, 2021, after living with cancer for more than two years.
Lynne was born May 7, 1947, the third child of Hollis and Adele Hinkel of Rochester, Michigan. She attended Rochester High School and Michigan State University, where she graduated with honors in German and met her future husband.
In high school, Lynne was an exchange student in Hamburg, Germany, and her family hosted exchange students Elke Schardin from Hamburg and Ana Maria de Menezes from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lynne was able to maintain contact with Ana throughout much of her life.
Lynne spoke German fluently and was able to use the language extensively when she accompanied her husband, Dick, on his Army assignment to Germany in 1970-71 and in later vacation trips to Europe.
During their Army years, Lynne lived in Friedberg, Germany, where she handled international currency conversions for American Express; Fort Ord, California, where she worked for the Carmel Police Department and met Mayor Clint Eastwood; and Galesburg, Illinois, where she taught introductory German at Knox College. In 1977 Lynne and Dick adopted twin girls from Korea who were the joy of their lives.
She also lived in suburban Washington, DC, and worked as a travel agent in the Crystal City shops in Arlington, Virginia; and at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, where she taught English as a second language.
Lynne moved with her family in 1985 to Lawrence, where she worked as a substitute teacher in the school system and as an agent for McGrew Real Estate before finding a niche with the University of Kansas Division of Continuing Education.
During her nineteen years at Continuing Education, she helped the transition from correspondence courses to internet instruction and worked with many faculty members to put their courses online. Lynne also enjoyed working with Professor Maryemma Graham on the Project on the History of Black Writing.
In 1993 and 1994, Lynne and her family sponsored high school exchange students from Brazil and Poland and took them to Rocky Mountain National Park, beginning a family tradition of enjoying the Colorado mountains.
She retired from KU in 2008 and moved to Estes Park, Colorado, where she and Dick had a comfortable home on a dead-end road on the side of a mountain at 8,600-feet elevation with an expansive view of Estes Park and the surrounding mountains.
In Estes Park, Lynne was a volunteer at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park and a member of the Estes Park Ambassadors at the town’s Visitor Center. She was an enthusiastic genealogist and did extensive DNA research into her family’s history.
A particular highlight was a trip to Ireland in 2018, where she was able to introduce her husband to two of his very-distant Irish cousins whom she had connected with through her ancestry research.
She was diagnosed with cancer soon after that trip and the following year returned to Lawrence to be closer to family. She passed away in hospice care at home, with her husband and daughters at her bedside.
Lynne loved animals and had a series of dogs ranging from Piccolo, the dachshund she bought at a pet store in Frankfurt, Germany, to Jasper, the golden doodle who was a comfort in her final days.
Lynne was known by family, friends, and acquaintances as a warm, caring, and gracious woman who was a joy to be with. She was a special person.
Lynne is survived by her husband, Dick; her daughters Kelly Yates (John) of Leawood and Kerry Smalley (Jeff) of Topeka; her brother, Howard Hinkel (Gail) of Columbia, Missouri; and her sister, Sharon Hartlein (Bob), of Midland, Michigan, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Services are planned at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery at a date to be determined, when family and friends can travel safely.
Donations in her memory to the Cotton-O’Neil Cancer Center, Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, or to the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association are suggested. Donations may be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana, Lawrence, KS 66044.

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1954

Lynne Florence (Hinkel) Lipsey, formerly of Estes Park, Colorado, died on Sunday, January 10, 2021, after living with cancer for more than two years.
Lynne was born May 7, 1947, and grew up in Rochester, Michigan. She attended Michigan State University, where she graduated with honors in German and met her future husband.
In high school, Lynne was an exchange student in Hamburg, Germany, and her family hosted exchange students from Germany and Brazil.
Lynne spoke German fluently and was able to use the language extensively when she accompanied her husband, Dick, on his Army assignment to Germany in 1970-71 and in later vacation trips to Europe.
Lynne also lived in California, where she worked for the Carmel Police Department and met Mayor Clint Eastwood; suburban Washington, DC; and at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. In 1977 Lynne and Dick adopted twin girls from Korea who were the joy of their lives.
Lynne moved with her family in 1985 to Lawrence, Kansas, where she worked for the University of Kansas Division of Continuing Education doing online instruction.
Her family hosted exchange students from Brazil and Poland and took them to the YMCA of the Rockies and Estes Park to enjoy the mountains. That became a family tradition that continued until 2008, when she retired from KU.
She and Dick then moved to Estes Park, where their home in Little Valley had an expansive view of the town and the surrounding mountains.
Lynne loved the Estes area and enjoyed helping visitors as a member of the Estes Park Ambassadors at the Visitor Center and as a volunteer at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. She also enjoyed the inspirational messages at services at the YMCA of the Rockies by Chaplain Bill Huth who, along with his assistant, Robert Ruesch, performed the marriage ceremonies for her daughters.
Lynne and Dick moved to the Cedar Ridge condos in 2017.
She was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and after a year of treatment at the Anschutz Cancer Center in Aurora, she returned to Kansas to be closer to family. She passed away in hospice care at home with her husband and daughters at her bedside.
Lynne was known by family, friends, and acquaintances as a warm, caring, and gracious woman who was a joy to be with. She was a special person.
Lynne is survived by her husband, Dick; her daughters Kelly Yates (John) of Leawood, Kansas, and Kerry Smalley (Jeff) of Topeka, Kansas; her brother, Howard Hinkel (Gail) of Columbia, Missouri; and her sister, Sharon Hartlein (Bob), of Midland, Michigan, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Services are planned at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery at a date to be determined, when family and friends can travel safely.
Donations in her memory to the Cotton-O’Neil Cancer Center, Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, or to the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association are suggested. Donations may be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana, Lawrence, KS 66044.

High school princess, 1962

Exchange student in Germany, 1964

Lynne Florence (Hinkel) Lipsey, formerly of Rochester, Michigan, died on Sunday, January 10, 2021, after living with cancer for more than two years.
Lynne was born May 7, 1947, the third child of Hollis and Adele Hinkel of Rochester.  She attended Rochester High School and Michigan State University, where she graduated with honors in German and met her future husband.
In high school, Lynne was an exchange student in Hamburg, Germany, and her family hosted exchange students Elke Schardin from Hamburg and Ana Maria de Menezes from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Lynne was a homecoming princess and was active in the Ski Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, and band, among many other activities.
Her parents were longtime members of the Rochester Orchestra, where her father was concert master. Her parents also performed with “Hollis Hinkel’s Orchestra” at dances and hoedowns in the 1940s and 1950s at Bill’s Barn and other area venues.
Her grandfather, BCH Spencer, was a prominent physician in the late-19th and early 20th centuries.
Lynne spoke German fluently, in large part thanks to her high school teacher, Elfi Tangert (Werzer).  She was able to use the language extensively when she accompanied her husband, Dick, on his Army assignment to Germany in 1970-71 and in later vacation trips to Europe.
Lynne also lived in California, where she worked for the Carmel Police Department and met Mayor Clint Eastwood; suburban Washington, DC; and at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. In 1977 Lynne and Dick adopted twin girls from Korea who were the joy of their lives.
Lynne moved with her family in 1985 to Lawrence, Kansas, where she worked for the University of Kansas Division of Continuing Education doing online instruction.
She retired from KU in 2008 and moved to Estes Park, Colorado, where she was a volunteer in Rocky Mountain National Park and a member of the Estes Park Ambassadors at the town Visitor Center.
She returned to Rochester in 2015 for the 50th reunion of her high school class.
Lynne was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and later returned to Lawrence to be closer to family. She passed away in hospice care at home with her husband and daughters at her bedside.
Lynne was known by family, friends, and acquaintances as a warm, caring, and gracious woman who was a joy to be with. She was a special person.
Lynne is survived by her husband, Dick; her daughters Kelly Yates (John) of Leawood, Kansas, and Kerry Smalley (Jeff) of Topeka, Kansas; her brother, Howard Hinkel (Gail) of Columbia, Missouri; and her sister, Sharon Hartlein (Bob), of Midland, Michigan, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Services are planned at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery at a date to be determined, when family and friends are able to travel safely.
Donations to the Cotton-O’Neil Cancer Center, Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kansas, or to the Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association are suggested. Donations may be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana, Lawrence, KS 66044.

San Francisco, 1973

Kelly & Kerry arrive, Chicago, Nov. 1977

Lynne's Farewell party at travel agency, 1982

Michigan, 1985

Russian colonel and wife, Fort Leavenworth, 1993

Lawrence, Christmas 1996

Howard, Lynne, Sharon, Michigan 1999

Rocky Mountain National Park, 2000

Kerry's wedding, YMCA of the Rockies, 2005

Kelly's wedding, Lily Lake, 2005

Boulder overlook, 2002

Our new home, 2006

Our mountain home, Moss Rock Drive

Estes Park, 2011

Michigan, 2012

Dick's high school 50th reunion, 2013

Hawaii, 2013

Monterey, Calif., 2016

Heidelberg Castle, 2016

Ireland, 2018

Undated photo

The 1995 run

The 2003 run

The 2007 picnic