Lynn Ann Spetz

Lynn was a loving wife to the late Ronald A. Spetz, whom she married on May 23, 1964. Lynn was Ronald’s champion caretaker for the last few years of his life.

Lynn was born on November 13, 1937, in Jamestown, NY, the daughter of the late Lincoln and Bernece Carlson Larson.

She was a 1956 graduate of Jamestown High School where she was a member of the JBF sorority. Lynn was a great storyteller, talking about her mom making an ice rink in their backyard for the neighborhood kids to skate on; helping her mom run a hotel at Point Chautauqua; and riding the trolley to visit her aunt and uncle at their cottage on Warner Bay, Chautauqua Lake. Perhaps the best stories were centered around her Uncle John “Buck” Larson, who encouraged her to move to Palo Alto, CA after high school to be with him and her Aunt Florence. Uncle Buck had a pony that he kept without permission at the stables at Stanford University. Uncle Buck took the pony to children’s birthday parties in the Bay Area, including to Shirley Temple’s birthday party where he took pictures of the kids on the pony. Lynn enjoyed taking road trips with Uncle Buck to Lake Tahoe where they presumably lost more money than they made. She also relayed the story of playing cards in the back room of a Palo Alto establishment where the other card players accused Uncle Buck of cheating and threw them out.

After returning from California, Lynn worked in Doctor White’s dental office in Jamestown, New York and married Ronald. Lynn retired from Quality Markets and she and Ronald moved to Fort Myers, Florida. Lynn was a co-founding member of the Pine Ridge water volleyball crew where she was nicknamed “Bam Bam” for her powerful two-handed backhand across the net. She played up until she was hospitalized for pneumonia in May 2023. She also enjoyed socializing with their many friends in Pine Ridge; and spending time with her late Aunt Alice Ruby Larson-Larcombe, who lived nearby in Fort Myers. Lynn and Ronald frequently returned to Jamestown to spend their summers on Chautauqua Lake.

Surviving family members include daughters Lori (Ross dec) Rickerson (Jamestown, NY) and Julie (Chris Hodakievic) Spetz (Fort Myers, FL), son Craig (Georgia) Spetz, Charlotte, N.C., grandchildren Cassandra and Nicholas Rickerson, Alexis and Matthew Spetz, great grandchild Talula Rose Rickerson-Whitmire (Tad Whitmire), and her four-legged grandchildren, Garnet, George, Mark and Onyx.

Lynn was preceded in death by her parents, and her brother Donald Larson. Lynn fought a 2+ year battle with stage 4 breast cancer. Her doctors and medical staff often referred to her as a “pleasant,” “lovely” 86-year old in their medical notes.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. May Lynn have a peaceful and joyous reunion with her family and friends as the earth marked her passing and the Heavens welcomed her. Rest in Peace, hun.