Lynn McClendon

Helen Lynn McClendon passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on March 2, 2023, at the age of 81.  A memorial celebration of Lynn’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at Lake Ridge Chapel.  Please view the broadcasting schedule, floral purchasing, and an area to share stories of Lynn with her family on this page.

Lynn was born July 29, 1941, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Ed and Helen Pritchard.  She was raised with her brother, Jim, in Dalhart, Texas.  When Lynn was a high school junior, the family moved to Fort Worth, where Lynn graduated from Paschal High School.  She loved Fort Worth, but Dalhart was always home.  A proud Horned Frog and a lover of all things purple, Lynn graduated from Texas Christian University in 1963.  While at TCU, Lynn served as Senior Class Secretary, President of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, was Senior Class Favorite and was a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society (the precursor to TCU’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa).  Lynn made many lifelong friends at TCU, all of whom she loved dearly.

After graduation, Lynn taught history at Arlington Heights High School until marrying Bob Stafford and moving to Lubbock in 1965.  Just as she did at TCU, Lynn quickly made many close friends and Lubbock quickly became her new home.  Two children soon followed, Leslie in 1967, and Jim in 1970.  Their family lost their husband and father, Bob, in 1983.  Lynn moved into the next phase of her life with the same grace she had exhibited during Bob’s illness.

Lynn married Jack McClendon, also widowed, and her family grew to include Trey, Elizabeth, and Mont, who were never her “stepchildren,” but instead, her kids.  Lynn and Jack had five kids under one roof, and Lynn worked tirelessly to build a home for her new family filled with love, laughter, and no shortage of home-cooked meals, from which both her children and their friends regularly benefitted.

While Lynn’s passion was being a wife and mother, she was equally committed to serving others.  While raising her family, she also served on countless boards, including two terms on the LISD Board of Trustees, the Junior League of Lubbock (Provisional Chairman, Treasurer, and President), the Lubbock MHMR board (Chairman), the Lubbock State School board, the United Way community planning council, the Lubbock City Council Committee on Homelessness (Chairman), and as a member of the State of Texas Select Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.  Lynn was on the founding boards of the Lubbock County Appraisal District, the LISD Foundation for Excellence, the Lubbock Children’s Shelter, and the Lubbock Lakesite.  She was a tireless member of The Salvation Army Board for 20 years (Chairman), during which time she received both the “Others” Award and was named Volunteer of the Year.  Lynn also honored the memory and legacy of her dear friend, Patsy, by serving on the board of the Lubbock Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Lynn is survived by her husband, Jack; brother, Jim Pritchard (Brenda); children, Leslie Baumann (Roger), Trey McClendon (Christy), Elizabeth LaMair (Trey), Jim Stafford (Kelly), and Mont McClendon (Shannon); nephews Judd Pritchard and Jay Pritchard; grandchildren, Robert Baumann, Max Baumann, Ben McClendon, John LaMair, Anna McClendon, Aubrey Stafford, Charlie LaMair, William McClendon, and Patrick McClendon; and her beloved dog, Diva.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Taylor, Laura, Christi, Tehya, Ambrosia, and Elizabeth for their compassion and loving care.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Salvation Army.

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