By Dolores Switzer, Richard Crouse, Mike Wade, and Dexter Gaines
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” –2 Timothy: 7
It is often said we don’t know the day or the hour our death will happen. We all imagine it being in the distant future when we are old and gray, but sometimes God has a different plan. While we don’t necessarily understand it, there is a reason for someone to enter our lives at a specific time and place.
For all of us, Lynn Fairchild Martin was that person who came at the right place and right time. We remember events, laughter, and sadness that we all shared. The numerous people who have been blessed to know this special person would have never dreamed of Lynn, who was so young, being a memory of our past and not our present or future.
When Lynn was diagnosed with cancer she showed a remarkable determination to prepare herself and live life to the fullest.
We all have many memories of Lynn. One thing we all know, she loved her family, her fur babies, and her GOP family. Over the last several days, many of us have shared stories such as the Halifax Cantaloupe Festival, handing out chick magnet shirts to friends, and sitting around hospitality suites swapping political stories (and there are many to share). As we browsed through Facebook looking at pictures, we prayed, cried, and laughed together.
Lynn was a wealth of political information with a statewide network of friends. She attended Virginia Tech where she studied international relations, electrical engineering, and computer science, was a graduate of the Jennifer Byler Institute, and a 2011 graduate of the Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership.
With this knowledge and background, Lynn co-founded and was the past president of Central Republican Women, and participated in “We The People,” to help educate young people on our constitution. For many years she was a fixture at the annual Wakefield Shad Planking.
Lynn worked diligently on campaigns from local Commonwealth Attorney races, sheriff, city council, delegate, Virginia Senate, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate races. She never knew district lines and made friends everywhere she went. Lynn loved being behind the camera and not in front of it. One should have the luck to view the photo archive that she created as she traveled Virginia.
Preceding her in death was her dad, William (Bill) Fairchild and her beloved Perry Karnes. She is survived by her children, Kelsey Murphy and husband Ryan, Charles (Chip) Martin, her mother, Connie Fairchild and brother Chris Fairchild. She is also survived by her “soul sister” Cheryl Key, her children Matt and Devon Key, and many close GOP friends that were family to her.
Lynn coined the name, “The Cool Kids Club,” a group of close GOP friends who always looked out for each other. Regardless of the time of day or night, whenever we needed Lynn’s help, she always answered and was available. Nicknames were a favorite thing for her … names such as Skittles, Jules, Mr. Chairman, and one of her favorite words was groovy. If you knew Lynn, your world was a brighter place.
Lynn introduced JB to the world in 2010. The infamous red monkey was a fixture in Virginia politics. She would always have JB with her … attending meetings and trying to make the speaker laugh, traveling on tours of D.C., holding court with elected officials, and even traveling abroad to Italy.
Lynn thought of her friends first, from throwing surprise parties, telling jokes, and making everyone laugh with her stories.
Let us close by saying everyone would be lucky to have a friend like Lynn Fairchild Martin. We are so grateful for the brief time we were able to spend with her, and will miss her. Until we meet again, she is now reunited with her love, Perry, where they are likely sitting on the porch with Tucker Watkins drinking out of a jar while waiting to “assemble the minions” once again.
“How lucky I am to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard.” –Winnie the Pooh