Lynn Borgford, 82, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on July 29, 2023, after a three-month battle with cirrhosis of the liver. (Lynn would be the first to tell you that it was not from alcohol – just bad genes!)

Lynn was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Esther and Everett Broene on March 30, 1941. She grew up with her younger sister, Phyl, in the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was active in the Dutch Christian Reformed Church community. Lynn felt loved and cared for by her parents but did not relish the various restrictions imposed by this community and followed by her parents. Later in life she would speak often to her children and grandchildren about the limitations placed on youth in the 1940's and 1950's, including required attendance at church events, rules forbidding "sinful" activities like dancing and playing cards, and career prospects for women of that era limited to teaching, nursing, and homemaking.

Lynn initially chose nursing for her career and became a Registered Nurse after training at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center School of Nursing in Grand Rapids. In 1962, at age 21, she married Joseph R. ("Joe") Venema. She continued working as a nurse, after the birth of her first son, Steve, in 1964, supporting Joe who was finishing his divinity studies at Calvin College. Her family of three subsequently moved to  Southern California in 1966 where she continued to work as a nurse at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena while Joe worked on his PhD at the Fuller School of Psychology.

Her second child, Julia, was born in late 1967 and a third child, Jaymes, was born in 1969.      Although Lynn and Joe's marriage ultimately ended in divorce, Lynn discovered herself in the sunny state of California. She soon left her nursing career and started over, attending Cal State Los Angeles, and obtaining a bachelor's degree in Geography with a minor in Anthropology. Lynn was passionate about these fields, and took great delight in studying rock formations, glaciers, volcanos, fossils, and whatever geographic wonder she was lucky enough to stumble upon during her travels. Her eyes lit up whenever she discovered a geological phenomenon or a part of human history that drew her attention and interest.  Professionally, Lynn enjoyed working in the areas of regional community development and city planning for many years.

Lynn was passionate about traveling. Her second marriage to Norman Gosenfeld in 1986 led to many months of travel over the years to Cuba, Vietnam, Thailand, China, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany, France, and Austria, to name a few. When they were not traveling, Lynn and Norm lived in a home overlooking Mariner's Cove on Whidbey Island, Washington. They spent their retirement reading, crabbing, shrimping and spending time visiting and hosting children, grandchildren, her sister and niece. They also welcomed many friends from the Seattle area as well as those from their former lives in the L.A. area for long weekends and wonderful dinner parties.

Lynn cherished her house on Whidbey Island, but after Norm's death in 2006, she opted to sell her home in favor of a smaller and more physically manageable home in Redmond, Washington that was closer to her children and grandchildren

A very endearing part of Lynn's story is that she married the builder of her cherished Whidbey home, Thomas Borgford, in 2011. Both had been widowed for several years      when they met again at a Whidbey Island community event. Lynn was 70 years old at the time, and felt she had a lot more living to do. The two married at a courthouse in Washington state and then took off for a honeymoon in Hawaii, later informing families via text of their elopement. Their marriage was an incredibly happy one. Lynn was deeply in love with Tom and he with her. Their time together was full of love and affection, even as life slowed down for them both. Lynn's family is very grateful to Tom's children Donna, Patricia, Connie and their families for their love and support during the last twelve years.

Lynn's decision to elope with Tom was entirely consistent with her character. She was a "doer" and had no patience for inaction. She refused to let her loved ones wallow in self-pity and reminded them in no uncertain terms that they needed to move forward. She would often tell one of them to "get off your butt and figure it out!"

Lynn loved her family and friends fiercely. There are countless stories of Lynn helping them when they were facing challenges, offering emotional, financial, and even physical support.

One of Lynn's mantras was "never rely on someone else to take care of you."  This admonition was repeated, constantly, especially to her female family members. She wanted her loved ones to be the best versions of themselves – kind, hardworking, and –  by all means – independent.

Lynn leaves behind her cherished family – Thomas Borgford (spouse); children Steven Venema (wife Andrée), Julia Jordanich (husband Ed), Jaymes Venema (wife Elena); sister, Phyllis Broene Rose (husband Steven), and niece Kristen Jean Guirguis (husband Mark). She is also survived by her grandchildren Lane Venema, Elizabeth Venema, Thandiwe Venema, Jacob Desmond (JD) Venema, Lauren Jordanich, Mia Jordanich, Natalie Jordanich, grand-niece Claudia Guirguis and grand-nephew Jonathan Guirguis.

She will be held closely in her family's hearts for the rest of their lives.  She was a wise, energetic woman with a wonderful sense of humor who made sure that those around her knew they were loved. She will be sorely missed but her spirit and compassion will continue on in the memories of her family and friends.

Should anyone wish to make a donation in Lynn's memory, Doctors Without Borders, Emily's List, and the Dup15q Alliance were some of Lynn's favorite organizations.