TRIBUTE PAID TO ‘A DEAR FRIEND’
Memorial services were held last week for two people who meant a lot to our community. One got the public recognition he deserved but never sought. The other was quietly acknowledged by her many friends but otherwise did not receive public attention. And that’s what she would have wanted.
The more well known, of course, was Dr. Murdock Smith of Sydney. This quiet unassuming man was known by his thousands of patients and by everyone directly or indirectly connected with the health-care system.
The less well known was Lynn Baechler, a dear friend of mine for more than 50 years.
My purpose is not to compare the accomplishments of one to the other. Others have detailed better than I ever could what Dr. Smith meant to our community. And that has been duly and appropriately acknowledged in the press.
Most people reading this have probably never heard of Lynn. But those who have been privileged to have met Lynn will not forget her. Lynn was not a native Cape Bretoner. She and her husband Fred arrived here more than 40 years ago and fell in love with our treasured island. They built a home and raised three wonderful children.
What set Lynn apart was her passion for nature and the environment. Both Lynn and Fred were hydrogeologists. When they built their new home more than 30 years ago, it was heated and cooled by a ground water heat pump – surely the first of its kind around here. The home’s energy requirements are now supplemented by a roof covered with solar panels. In their own way, Lynn and Fred “walked the talk.”
An avid gardener, Lynn also loved trees. She planted and studied them, and did everything she could to increase their numbers and protect the ones that were already here. Her land in Johnstown, Richmond Co., is a tree sanctuary. She has taken steps to ensure that it is never despoiled by human intervention.
As a hydrogeologist, Lynn was consumed with the preservation of our precious water resources. Many individuals and communities are indebted to Lynn and Fred for their unrelenting efforts to enhance the water supply. They were also tireless advocates for clean water; many people learned a lot from them. Lynn has for years been active with the Bras d’Or Lake Stewardship Society.
Lynn loved animals. She was a student of wildlife and she loved birds. And Lynn loved people. For 10 years, Lynn volunteered at palliative care. Fittingly, it was there that Lynn passed her final days with us.
Lynn was not a political person. But she was engaged with the issues of the day. Last winter, we attended Gwynne Dyer’s presentation at Cape Breton University. The topic was the rise of populist nationalism. Lynn was enthralled and concerned about the implications of the spread of Trumpism for us all.
My point is that Lynn and others quietly and anonymously live their lives. Yet they have a profound impact on the lives of those around them. We have been enriched by Lynn’s presence. Our community is immeasurably better because Lynn was here. We will miss her.
Frank Edwards
Homeville