Lynn Earl Eggleston

Lynn Earl Eggleston surprised us all and left us in a lurch on July 11, 2019, 15 days shy of his 76th birthday. An avid outdoorsman his entire life; his love for hunting and fishing kept him active, brought him joy, and kept food on the table.

Born in Athens to William and Alta Waters Eggleston, he grew up hunting and fishing on the Trinity River. He graduated from Cayuga High School, Trinity Valley Community College, and Sam Houston State University where he met the love of his life and wife of 53 years, Sharon Allen. Together, they hunted, fished, traveled, changed addresses numerous times and raised two children, Lyle and Lori (Thorp). He made sure his tenacity, resourcefulness, and intelligence were passed on to each of them.

In addition to his wife and kids, he is survived by four siblings: brother David; sisters Donna (Winkelmann), Vickey, and Valerie; close family friends Lyn Eggleston White and Matt White; several cousins, nieces and nephews; and his four faithful canine companions: Roscoe, Boomer, Andy, and Mr. Wiener. A special thank you to Terry Winkelmann (brother-in-law) and Jake Thorp (son-in-law) for lending a hand and always coming through.

Lynn was many things: traveler, gardener, avid reader, historian, artist, poet, teacher, oil field worker, keen observer of both nature and people. He loved to make up limericks and puns, recite lines from literature and was a walking encyclopedia of the Civil War. He was efficient, frugal, and a bit eccentric. Although a loner by nature, he never met a stranger and his family often joked that he would talk to a fence post.

Never one to sit still, he squeezed all he could out of every day, and his adventures took him boating down the rivers of Texas, walking the battlefields of the Civil War, cruising to the Caribbean, hiking and camping in the mountains of West Texas, hunting pheasants in Kansas, flying in a World War II aircraft (Fifi), driving the coast of California, riding the train to the Grand Canyon, and climbing the Tulum ruins.

He appreciated organization, cleanliness, old country music, and good jokes. Those who knew him will tell you he was quite the prankster and was a man of many shenanigans. He loved old airplanes and going to airshows. He took all the fun out of Trivial Pursuit because he rarely missed a question. For example, he could name all 254 Texas Counties in alphabetical order along with the county seat of each. Lynn also had a great fondness for maps and was a geography whiz.

The man could turn a phrase, always reminding us to “Just stop and think!” He was punctual, too, leaving at least half an hour before scheduled and telling us, “If we were there now, we’d be late” (especially when going fishing).

His legacy lies in all the times as assisted others with no regard for his own schedule or payment or recognition. From neighbors to hitchhikers to stranded motorists, Lynn always made time to help; however, he did not suffer fools gladly.

Ever the planner, Lynn wrote two versions of his obituary; this will be shared at his send-off party, which will be held at a later date. If you have a memory or story of Lynn, please share it in the guest book section at www.hannigansmith.com.

In lieu of flowers (Lynn loved them but thought they should be kept in their natural habitat), please consider a donation to the charity of your choice. He loved dogs, nature, and helping his fellow man (and woman). Above all, please honor him by finding a way to lend a helping hand and leaving the world a little bit better than you found it.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home family.