Lynn Rowe Obituary
Lynn Brockbank Rowe passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at the age of 86. His last days were filled with the joyful sounds of family gathered around, telling stories, playing games and enjoying time together. As a family, we will forever be grateful for these sweet days and recognize them as a great gift.
Lynn was born on July 5, 1935, to Owen Earl and Lois Brockbank Rowe in Spanish Fork, Utah. When he was born, the doctor told Lynn's mother this baby had the hands of a surgeon, a story his mother often related, and it must have planted a seed that helped spark a career later in life. Lynn was a small-town boy who grew up to travel the world, but he loved his upbringing during the simpler times of the 1930's and 40's.
Without computers and electronic games, the boys in the neighborhood made up imaginary games or played baseball, football and basketball. In the summers they would rise early to pick cherries and other fruit to be processed in the nearby Del Monte factory. In early fall, hours were spent picking and preparing for the sugar beet harvest.
Lynn grew up learning to fish and hunt and loved the associated traditions of this close-knit community. Lynn's height and athleticism made him a natural for sports and he lettered in basketball, tennis, track and baseball. He was All-State in basketball his senior year at Spanish Fork High School and after graduating in 1953 he attended Brigham Young University on an athletic scholarship.
While there, he played varsity basketball under Coach Stan Watts, which he always considered a great privilege. Before his interests turned to pre-med, Lynn had originally thought he would pursue a degree in Civil Engineering. His first summer in college he was employed by the Forest Service to work on a team that surveyed the area for what would be the Jordanelle Dam project.
While in college, Lynn also continued to serve in the U.S. Army National Guard, 145th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery C and had advanced from the rank of Private up to Master Sergeant by the time he started medical school. The positive experiences he had with his classmates and also the officers who had served so courageously in the Korean War would ultimately be a factor in his decision to later join the Air Force.
On June 20, 1957, Lynn married his sweetheart, Karen Christensen, in the Salt Lake Temple. Although they didn't actually meet at age 8, they discovered years later they'd been baptized on the same day, in the same place, by the same person. In August of 1943, Spanish Fork and Salem were in the same Stake, and all children were baptized by the same Priesthood leader who was assigned to do ordinances for the entire group, rather than by a family member.
Seven years later, in the same seminary building, they were both taking an Old Testament class together. Karen remembers, "Class started with an opening hymn which I accompanied every morning. I sat at a table at the back of the room by a window and Lynn sat facing me at another table. One morning I was taken by surprise as small red berries from the pyracantha bush outside would fly across the space to our table and hit me.
It didn't take long to detect where they were coming from as he was not very subtle. After confronting him after class about the berries we ended up getting acquainted." And the rest, as they say, is history. The newlyweds moved to Washington, DC where Lynn had been accepted into medical school at George Washington University.
He received his MD in 1961 and completed his internship and general surgical specialty training while serving in the US Air Force. Lynn loved anything and everything to do with WWII history and the development of the space program in the early 1960's. That interest came from his first assignment with the Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
It was an exciting time to be stationed there as it was the testing ground for new aircraft coming into service for the military. He met many of the early test pilots for the space program in the Aerospace Research and Pilot School and the commander of the program at the time was Colonel Chuck Yeager, the first pilot in history to exceed the speed of sound.
As Flight Surgeon for the base, Lynn was able to accompany many of these pilots in flight and developed a lifelong interest in planes and their history. While at Edwards, Lynn was instrumental in the rescue of a pilot whose X-15 had crashed in the desert and was awarded the NASA Exceptional Bravery Medal for his efforts.
He was also named Flight Surgeon of the Year in 1963. Throughout Lynn's medical training and his eventual career as a General Surgeon, he and Karen raised a family of five children, including Juliana, Kathy, David, Michael, and Bradley. His military service provided the family many opportunities for travel and they established many great friendships along the way.
The family lived in many places including Utah, Virginia, California, Japan, Texas, Colorado, England, Las Vegas, South Dakota, and Guam. In addition to a number of years in private practice, Lynn served in the Air Force and practiced surgery until he retired as a full Colonel in 1989. Anyone who knows Lynn knows that he is a true patriot and defender of traditional values who loves his country and considered it a privilege to serve in branches of the military for 35 years.
As a surgeon, Lynn was known as a compassionate and skilled healer. He never considered his contributions in the operating room more important than anyone else on the surgical team and treated everyone with respect. He earned the appreciation of colleagues and patients alike. Many former patients gifted him with notes or tokens to thank him for the care they received.
Most valued were the heartfelt expressions of gratitude for the way in which he patiently listened and gave whatever time was needed to answer questions and give comfort. He loved his career and although it required much sacrifice on his part, as well as that of his family, he enjoyed being able to serve others in this way.
Lynn was the photographer of the family and spent hours during the last few months of his life organizing hundreds of cherished pictures that document the family and their travels and adventures over the years. In his spare time, Lynn enjoyed fishing, golfing, following BYU sports and reading the latest Joe Pickett book.
Did we mention fishing? He enjoyed nothing more than driving his truck up to the mountains with his fishing buddies and spending a beautiful day on a quiet mountain lake waiting for that familiar tug of a fish on his line. Lynn would whole-heartedly agree with the unknown author who said, "Good things come to those who bait.".
The two things Lynn prized more than anything in life were his family and his love of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He served in many callings, with one of the highlights being his mission to Brazil with Karen by his side. He served as Area Medical Director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2002-2003, and he loved the missionaries and other great people they met there.
He always kept a dish of candy on his desk and small bottles of the Brazilian soft drink Guarana for the missionaries who stopped by for help. His love for and faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ, was his firm foundation. It saw him through the many challenges of life, including the death of his daughter Kathy who passed away from leukemia at the age of 17.
Lynn loved his family - and they loved him. If you married into the family, you were instantly included. The one unofficial test you had to pass was learning to play Hearts, the official Rowe family game. Once you are strategic enough to "shoot the moon" you've leveled up, you're "in" forever. And Dad's hugs? They are legendary, full stop.
If you ever had the privilege of being hugged by Lynn/Dad/Grandpa/Grampy you would never forget it. The best ever - perfectly warm with just the right amount of squeeze. You knew you were loved. One granddaughter wrote the following and others have echoed the same thought, "It's a true testament to what an exceptional father, grandfather, and friend Grandpa was that missing him hurts this acutely.".
We take comfort in the quote from President Russell M. Nelson, "We can't fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now. The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life.". Lynn is survived by his wife of 64 years, Karen Christensen Rowe and children, Juliana (Rick) Metcalf, David (Kelly) Rowe, Michael (Leslie) Rowe, and Bradley (Kristen) Rowe, 16 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren.
He is also survived by his sister, Earlene Larsen, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Kathryn Rowe; his parents, Owen Earl and Lois Brockbank Rowe; and his siblings, Owen Brockbank Rowe and Paul Brockbank Rowe. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, September 18th, at 11:00 am at the Canyon View 10th Ward Chapel, 762 East 1200 North, Orem, Utah, where a Visitation will be held prior to services from 9:30 to 10:30 am.
Interment with Military Honors in the Salem City Cemetery, 965 South 140 East, Salem, Utah. The Funeral Service can be viewed via live stream at the following link: http://mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org. Select services for Lynn Rowe Funeral Directors: Utah Valley Mortuary.
