Remembering Lynn David Ikenberry

Memorial Service

A memorial service for Lynn Ikenberry will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday May 1, 2021, in the countryside outside Chapel Hill with a rain date of Sunday, May 2 at the same time.

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The service will be in the style of a Friends meeting, with opening words by Rebecca Reyes, who will convene the meeting, violin music by Jennifer Curtis, and periods of silence when those who want to speak about their memories and experiences with Lynn are encouraged to do that. A trio of Sue Gilbertson, Allen Wilcox, and Gretchen Aylsworth will sing during the service. 

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We anticipate the service will last about an hour after which a simple outdoor reception will be held for those who are comfortable staying and want to talk with family and friends.

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ABOUT THE STYLE OF SERVICE

For Friends (Quakers), a Memorial Meeting for Worship, an extended period of silence, is a time of prayer, of thanksgiving, and remembering. At times an individual may be moved to speak, to offer a prayer or a message that has come out of this silence. Most of the messages will, no doubt, relate to our memories of Lynn and our celebration of his life. Neither laughter nor tears are out of place. Any message that springs from our effort to connect with the Divine, and which is delivered in a worshipful manner, is appropriate. Reflections, poetry, scripture, singing, and stories may all be part of the fabric of memory we weave together.

We will be blending the style of an unprogrammed Friends meeting with some programming that draws from Lynn's life. The service will begin with a song that was important to Lynn after which we will sit in silence for a few minutes. Rebecca Reyes will speak to Lynn's spirit and presence in the world and as we reflect on her message, guests are invited to share a brief message of their own during the extended period of silence if they are so moved. At around 3 pm, the service will close with another musical selection that was a favorite of Lynn's.

VIRTUAL SERVICE

We will also be streaming the service online to allow guests to attend virtually. Details will be updated below as we get closer to the service, so please check back if you would like to attend virtually.

Time at the memorial service will be limited and we ask everyone to be concise when they speak. We treasure your stories about Lynn so we have set up a page where you can share those memories including favorite pictures or videos, and we especially encourage those who are participating from afar to share memories they might otherwise share in person.

OTHER DETAILS

It will be a comfort to us to be with others who loved Lynn as we did. Coming together as a community is important to us as we process our loss, and we are also respectful of the ongoing pandemic. We know not everyone who wishes to attend will be vaccinated at this time. To balance the need to be together with the safety of everyone, the service and reception will be held outside and in accordance with current local rules for safe gatherings. It is hard to imagine a celebration of Lynn's life without plenty of hugs, yet the family asks that guests be respectful of others' space during and after the service due to the pandemic. 

If conditions change, we may need to move to our rain date, limit the number of people attending, or make other last minute changes. For this reason we ask that everyone planning to attend please register in advance. We will email the address for the service to those who register.

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--> UPDATE <--

Some people have not received an email after RSVPing so we are including the text of that email below. 

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ADDRESS AND PARKING

The service will be held at David’s and Leon’s house. Please park across the street at:

Orange Chapel United Methodist Church

1634 Orange Chapel Clover Garden Rd.

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

If you would like help walking to the site, please park at their house at 1627 Orange Chapel Clover Garden Rd. We will have a golf cart available to shuttle those who need help to the site. We ask those who are able to walk to reserve the parking at the house for those who need it. If space at the house runs out, we can also shuttle from the church. 

ARRIVAL

It will take a few minutes to walk from the parking to the site. We ask that you plan to arrive 15 minutes before the service begins to give you time to walk and get seated. If you will need a shuttle to the site, it will help to arrive a bit earlier. Violinist Jennifer Curtis will be playing for guests before the service so you will have some of Lynn’s favorite music to listen to. The family may be busy with last minute details so please understand if we aren’t chatting before the service!

SETTING

The service will be held in a field in the countryside. This is not a formal event and there is no dress code or expectation around your clothing because honestly, would Lynn want that? He would not! Please wear whatever feels comfortable to you. We will not be in a covered location so you may want to take that into consideration and you may want to wear sunscreen or a hat. Most of us will be sitting on covered hay bales but we will have chairs for those who need more support. 

PANDEMIC CONSIDERATIONS

We expect a large number of guests. Many have told us they are fully vaccinated, however we do not expect that everyone will be. North Carolina will no longer have a mask mandate for outdoor settings on May 1, but please bring a mask anyhow and have it available for use if needed. We do not want anyone to get sick!