Lynne L. Dycus

Lynne Lochridge Dycus passed away May 13 at the age of 81. Lynne dedicated her life to serving others as a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher, and volunteer.

Lynne, daughter of Riley and Anne Lochridge, was born June 21, 1940 in Evanston, Ill. She was raised along the Chicago North Shore and graduated from New Trier High School in Wilmette. Lynne subsequently attended Iowa State University and Arizona State University, receiving a B.S. degree in home economics education from ASU in 1962. After graduation, Lynne taught two years at Agua Fria High School in Avondale, AZ.

Lynne, through mutual friends, met Robert Dycus, an engineer working on the Apollo program in 1964. They were married that year in Palos Verdes, CA. After marriage, Lynne worked for a year developing recipes for the Carnation Milk Company in Los Angeles. She returned to teaching in 1965 at Garfield High School in Los Angeles and later taught at Sweetwater High School in San Diego.

Lynne, Robert and their new-born son, Rob, moved to Tucson in June of 1969. Lynne helped her husband start and manage Dycus Associates, a government proposal consulting firm.

In Tucson, Lynne was a volunteer Mobile Meals driver for 20 years while her children, Rob and Bill, were growing up. She was active in 4-H, serving as head of the Pima County sheep program in 1987. Additionally, Lynne volunteered at Unity of Tucson and for the Pima County juvenile probation program.

After her children graduated from high school, Lynne cared for infants at Casa de los Niños. She later worked as a teacher at the Cochise County Juvenal Detention Center when Lynne and her husband moved to Bisbee for several years in the late 1990s.

Lynne and her husband were history buffs. This led to travel to 27 different countries in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Lynne was diagnosed with a genetic back condition, which hampered much of her volunteer work in the later years of her life. However, Lynne remained active in bridge groups, and she continued with her love of quilting and needlepoint.

Lynne is survived by her husband and two sons, two daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. Her oldest son, Rob, is married to Crystal Denham. They have two sons, Riley and Walker. Both are in high school in Columbia, Mo. Lynne’s youngest son, Bill, is married to Kimberly Layne in Oro Valley. They have two children. Ryan Dycus is working on a PhD degree at Cornell University, and daughter, Drew Dycus, lives in Tempe.