In Memory of Lyn Hipp

My name is Jonathon Swinney.  On November 2nd, 2020, Lyn Hipp, my mom, was diagnosed with COVID.  Five weeks later, on December 9th, 2020, after four weeks battling COVID complications in the ICU, she passed away at the age of 50. 

The final chapter of her story was written suddenly and tragically. Her story ended much too soon.  For those of you who knew her personally, you know how kind, selfless, and humble she was.  She gave everything she could to support and care for her parents, siblings, husband, children, step children, grandchildren, and many others who were blessed enough to be a part of her life. For those who never had the privilege of knowing her, let me tell you a bit more about my beautiful mom…

She was born on June 26th, 1970. She married my dad and soon after had three children at the ages of 16 (Kacye), 18 (me) and 22 (Zac).  She gave up much of the freedom of youth to dedicate her life to raising and supporting her children and later her step-children and grandchildren.

I watched my mom carefully as I grew up, and I admired her. Her resilience and hopefulness made her my hero. They also made her the kind of woman who impacted and shaped the people we are (or the people you know who shared this with you). If you know me, I can tell you the man I am today is in large part because of her. She left others better off at every turn, and she loved with everything she had. 

This past August, my grandpa, her dad, had surgery to remove a recurrent esophageal cancer. When he had complications after surgery and remained in the ICU for two months, she was the only person who could be there with him due to COVID restrictions. As she sat with him every day, our family saw my mom at her best: selfless, loving, and persistent. Through uncomfortable days and weeks, through setback after setback, she sat with him, encouraged him, and cared for him until he passed away.  At the end she was exhausted and heartbroken - but she never complained. She loved her daddy, and she wouldn't have been anywhere else, no matter what the cost. Two months later, she joined him in eternity.

My hope for my mom was that, as she grew old, we could all care for her the way she cared for us. Now she's gone, and the hole in our family is one that we can never fill. She was a great wife and mom, and a wonderful granny as well. Despite all our sorrow in losing her, the joy she experienced in loving and helping others brings us joy. The memories we share of her bring smiles and tears.

In honor of all she was and all she gave, we've started this fundraiser to honor Lyn and the life she dedicated to others. Our goal is to raise funds for her headstone and the medical bills coming in the days ahead. If you knew Lyn, or if you just learned about her beautiful life right now, we would appreciate prayers as we learn to live life without her bright presence. We would also appreciate anything you’re willing and able to contribute to this fund.