Vale Lynne Lumsden

It is with the greatest sadness that I write this month.

On Monday, April 24, 2023, one of our much-treasured past committee members Lynne Lumsden passed away after a long illness.

Lynne joined our committee in 2016 and made an impact right away, offering to clean up and sort all of the files since the inception of Southbank Residents’ Association (SRA) in the old office, back when we had a space in the now demolished school building at Boyd. The files had been neglected for years, but Lynne wasn’t daunted by the task ahead.

During the lead-up to the SRA 20-year anniversary, Lynne volunteered to research and write up the history and accomplishments of the SRA. It was a mammoth task which Lynne embraced with infectious enthusiasm.

It took several years to research and compile the history in time for our 20th anniversary and Lynne spoke with many past committee members and Southbank movers and shakers in order to fill in the gaps. Lynne enjoyed meeting the many and varied stakeholders and it elevated her passion for the project to which she graciously volunteered so much of her time.

In April 2021, Tall Storeys & True Tales – The First 20 Years of the Southbank Residents’ Association by Lynne Lumsden was launched at our “Southbank – Where to From Here?” community event to a rousing reception.

In addition to her book, Lynne was a fantastic representative at many of our SRA events. She may have welcomed you to a New to Southbank event, greeted you at a trivia night, sold you a raffle ticket at the Boyd Christmas function, or perhaps you were in the audience for her book launch. 

Lynne was sometimes outspoken (our meetings were too long, I talked too much and we should have snacks) but was always ready with a laugh or an opinion on what could be done better. The committee members who volunteered alongside Lynne remember a wonderfully positive and outspoken woman who was proud to live in Southbank and had much to give to our community. 

In acknowledgement of her contributions to SRA, Lynne received a lifetime membership award in 2019, one of only three issued in SRA’s history. 

Lynne served on our committee from October 2016 to the end of 2019, staying involved right up until the launch of the book in 2021. During this time Lynne’s contribution to the SRA committee and our wider community was immeasurable. Lynne made a huge impact during her tenure and beyond and has left us with a lasting legacy. Lynne was dearly loved and respected by all, and we will miss her dearly.

The thoughts and prayers of the entire SRA community are with Lynne’s husband David and their family at this time and I’d like to thank Tracey and Dan for their assistance writing this tribute.

If learning about Lynne’s passing has motivated you to read her book, copies are at the Boyd Library or can be purchased from SRA for $10. If you’ve been inspired by Lynne’s selfless dedication to community, we hope you’ll consider volunteering your time and joining our SRA committee, just as Lynne did all those years ago. We would be delighted to have you!

Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected], we would love to hear from you. •