Obituary of Lyn Adele Ebert

APTOS, CA - Lyn Adele Ebert, age 60, passed peacefully in her sleep at her home in Aptos, California, on Monday, May 28th, due to a sudden cardiac arrest. She previously made her home in Atascadero and Paso Robles, California for fourteen years, after leaving rural Illinois in 1993. Lyn is survived by her older brother, A.J. (Jeanne) Harland of La Fayette, IL and sons, Ben Ebert of San Francisco, CA and Max Ebert of Tochigi, Japan. She happily declared the boys her proudest achievements and thought their names sounded like an old west duo. Born in Galesburg, Illinois, to Gerald M. and Louise (Gibbs) Harland, Lyn spent her early years growing up on the family's idyllic, rural farm. A loving daughter, Lyn had a close relationship with her mother, which she would soon pass onto her sons. Though they gave her endless nightmares by recreating episodes of The Twilight Zone, Lyn's older sister Ann eventually became her closest friend, her older brother A.J. a near second. As high school valedictorian of LaFayette High School, 1969, Lyn attended Eureka College, graduating in 1973, where she proudly received better grades than Ronald Reagan, another notable alumnus from the school, a fact that Lyn mentioned with both pride and shame. Louise, Gerald and Ann predeceased Lyn. Lyn married William Kenneth Ebert in 1975, who she would put through medical school by teaching elementary in Hanna City and Farmington, Illinois. They divorced in 2010. With the birth of their first son Benjamin Lewis Ebert on December 19, 1980, Lyn gave up her career as a teacher to pursue full time motherhood. Following the example of her mother, she put her best into raising a strong, intelligent, independent child. Ben was shortly followed (almost 9 years later) by the birth of her second son, Maxwell Alan Ebert. Max was shown all the same care, attention, devotion and love. Tired of blizzards and tornados, Lyn moved the family to Atascadero, California in November 1993. There, she enjoyed bunco, spicy Mexican and Thai food, unique designer furniture, and warm trips to the beach. After both her sons had gone to college, Lyn moved with her husband to Aptos, California, fulfilling her lifelong dream of living in walking distance to the ocean. Initially times there were not always easy as Lyn struggled with recovery from heart surgery, the loss of her beloved sister, and divorcing her husband. Nevertheless, she persevered and found happiness again. Lyn's final years were mostly peaceful. She enjoyed Pilates, margaritas & aperitivos with new friends, as well as meditative walks on the beach. Her two cats, MC and Ozzie, who, she playfully joked, were the best sons a mother could ask for, adored her. She spent additional free time volunteering to teach English to recent immigrants from Mexico, traveling to Ireland & Scotland with Max, visiting her nearby sons, and helping Ben as a "great-godmother" to a pair of beautiful twin girls, Hannah and Harper Nelson. The girls loved Lyn & her kitties. Lyn will be dearly missed by her friends and family. A shrewd observer, she will be remembered for her dark sense of humor, sharp wit, empathy, and willingness to say whatever came to her mind. She was never afraid to speak her piece. She loved the mystery genre, awards show fashions, and classic cinema (which she knew better than most film historians). You've never met someone better with a baby, or who could tell a story about a small child like her-it was as though you were there. Cremation has been accorded and memorial celebrations will be held in Aptos and at the family homestead in Illinois on July 29th and August 2nd respectively. Please contact Ben for more information at [email protected] Anyone wishing to remember Lyn may direct donations to the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center's Literacy Program, literacysantacruz.org By now, Lyn would have joked that her own obituary was too long. But that's exactly why she will be so very missed.