Lynne Tavanyar

Lynne Tavanyar, a beloved daughter, friend, wife and mother, passed away peacefully Saturday, 4/13/2013 at the Hospice House, Merrimack, NH, surrounded by her family, after a 4-year fight with Stage-4 colon cancer. A committed Christian, Lynne died knowing that Jesus died for her sins and that she has received eternal life. We know that she is in heaven with her Savior!

Coventry, England is a Midlands industrial city known for its car industry, cathedral, and WWII bombing. Lynne was born there on 12/13/1955 to William (Bill) and Iris Eyles. Bill is a retired auto-worker who now lives in the picturesque Devon village of Bovey Tracey. Bill adored Lynne and they spoke every week on the phone. Iris, who was a hairdresser and wonderfully creative professional quilter, sadly died in 2005, after over 50 years of happy marriage to Bill, from ovarian cancer. Lynne loved her mom dearly, and learned so much of her quilting and seamstress skills from her. Lynne had no brothers or sisters.

Shortly after graduating high school, in 1976, Lynne married Richard Mabbitt, a Watford (London) policeman. Richard was the father to her beloved children, daughter Emma and son Simon Robert. Unfortunately, Lynne and Richard divorced in 1980, and after a quick second marriage ended disastrously, Lynne and children moved back in with her parents in 1982 to the Coventry area. It was there in the small country Baptist Church of Kenilworth (KBC), that she turned her life over to Christ, and met the love of her life, Simon Tavanyar, a software engineer. Simon later adopted Emma and Simon Robert to be his own children.

Simon and Lynne met in a prayer meeting in 1982, and soon became fast friends. Their love for Christ and each other developed at KBC, and May 18th, 1985, they married at the church in a gloriously joyful service. The couple added to their children with sons Mark and John, before following Simon's telecoms job to Orlando, Florida in 1989, where they later adopted their beloved daughter, Amy.

Lynne loved children and only stopped having more for health reasons. It was she who led her husband into children's ministry initially at Orlando Christian Center, a 5000-member church, where they stayed for 6 years. Youth Pastor Mike Thomforde used to refer to her as "the revival lady" because of the way she would pray with his 6th graders on a Sunday night. (Lynne is enthusiastic, but very practical, so this title made us laugh!) When Simon became Children's Pastor at a sister church (The Gathering Place), it was entirely with her unfailing support and practical wisdom. While Simon was teaching spiritual truth, Lynne, the "enforcer", was organizing the next activity and corralling kids. Lynne's love for children extended into the pro-life movement, where she volunteered regularly as a counselor for the Sanford (FL) Crisis Pregnancy Center, leading ultimately to adopting their beautiful Downs-syndrome daughter, Amy in 1991.

Lynne made life-long friendships wherever she went. (She may have made more "BFFs" than anyone alive!) For instance, fellow service coordinators Gail Heaton and Steve and Shawn Simmons at OCC remained close with her even after her time at OCC was long over. Steve honors Lynne with helping him over a particularly dark time in his life through her faithful support.

From an early age, Lynne loved to help hurting people. This was to become a life-long quality. After completing high school, she became an auxiliary nurse. While in Kenilworth, she worked at a nursing home for MS patients, and was always looking for creative ways to enrich their lives. While serving at TGP in Florida, she would regularly deliver bread from a Panera bakery to a dangerous drug- and gang-infested area of Sanford's 13th street. On the occasion she took her sons to help her, they remained locked in the car while she carried the bread alone! At this time she also ran the church food pantry out of her garage.

Lynne loved children and to cook, so one of her favorite jobs was working as the School Kitchen Supervisor at Liberty Christian School in 2003. Her no-nonsense approach and skill at making delicious yet simple food made her a big hit with the children. After that she enthusiastically ran her own quaint English tea-room "The Rose Cottage" for one year, of all places on Sanford's 13th street. After the three hurricanes that hit Sanford in 2004 wiped out the business, Lynne was done with her professional restaurant career! "I'm totally over it," as she would say.

Lynne and Simon made a career move to Nashua, NH in 2005. Lynne did not stay idle for long, and made many friends while working as first a bus monitor, and then a Special Ed. para-professional with Nashua High School South. There were harrowing tales of dealing with autistic children. When one large boy in her care boldly approached a "gang member"in the hallway in order to sniff him, Lynne was unruffled. Her plain-speaking British humor saved the day, and everyone laughed.

Lynne has such a generous nature, and would make gifts for her friends and those in need, either using her sewing skills or baking treats. She loved tea, the Queen and British traditions, so many will remember her by her "handle" of English Teacup.

What is remembered most is her courage through four years of chemo treatments for cancer, which eventually took her life. As one friend said, "She fought more than anyone I've ever seen fight." Lynne still had a smile for her friends and remained positive through it all. All who knew her remember her with gratitude and great fondness.

"God is saying well done my good and faithful servant, when I was hungry, you fed me, when I was naked, you clothed me, when I was thirsty, you gave me drink, as to the least of these you gave to me! Lynne Tavanyar welcome into my kingdoms! This I say into you! Welcome home my good and faithful servant! Welcome home Lynne we will all see you again" - tribute from Charlie Kalapp, FL landscaper, and friend to the family.

Lynne is survived by her father William Eyles, her husband Simon Tavanyar, and her children Emma (Joe, and grand-daughter Lisa) Paulsen, and Simon R, Mark, John (and Chelsey) and Amy Tavanyar.

A memorial service will be held at Community Chapel, 5 St Laurent St, Nashua, promptly at 6pm Thursday April 18th 2013. All welcome.