Lyn Green gave back to community
By:Sarah WInkelman
Her sense of humor, candor and dedication to her friends and community made Marilyn "Lyn" Green a powerful force in Cranbury. Those traits are what her friends say they will miss most about her.
Ms. Green died of lung cancer at the Sebring Assisted Care Facility in Madison, Wis., on July 16. She was 78.
Liz Callaway of Cranbury was a friend of Ms. Green’s for 17 years.
"She always had a great sense of humor and a great wit," she said. "That was what I loved about her."
Ms. Green attended Rockford College in Illinois and received her master’s degree in social work from Smith College. Her interest in community service continued as she worked with troubled children in Boston and Chicago.
"She was always interested in other young people, too," Ms. Callaway said. "She was a great listener and always listened intently to what people said. And she loved learning."
In 1950, Ms. Green married Alfred Green, a World War II Navy veteran who had served in the South Pacific. The couple had three children Christopher, Pamela and Randall. They moved to Cranbury in 1972 where they spent many years restoring the Stephen Duncan House, a circa-1780 farmhouse they bought on Cranbury-Neck Road.
Ms. Callaway said Ms. Green spent countless hours researching historical information while she and her husband restored the house.
"It was very important to her that the house be historically accurate," she said.
Dr. Green died in 1990 and Ms. Green moved to Rossmoor in 1992.
According to her friends, Ms. Green felt strongly about giving back to the communities she lived in and helping others. After moving to Cranbury, she joined the Cranbury Historic Preservation Society and remained active until her recent illness.
Township Historian Betty Wagner was a friend of Ms. Green’s for more than 20 years.
"We knew each other through the historical society but we also enjoyed each other’s company socially," she said.
Whenever there was something going on related to the society, Ms. Green was there.
"Her contributions to the historical society were fantastic," Ms. Wagner said. "Whether it was Cranbury Day or a preservation activity in town, she was always there willing to help."
Ms. Wagner said her friend was an educated woman with many talents.
"Not only was she always willing to lend a hand, she did things quickly and efficiently," she said. "And quietly. She just did whatever needed to be done and didn’t make a big deal out of it. If it needed to be done, she took care of it."
Township Committeewoman Becky Beauregard agreed, saying Ms. Green was always willing to lend a hand.
"Regardless of what needed to be done, she was there to do it," she said. "Whether it was taking a leadership role or washing the dishes after one of the historical society’s Christmas Teas, she was there."
And, Ms. Wagner said, she was a loyal friend to everyone who knew her.
"She will certainly be missed," she said. "She was one of those people who was always willing to give someone a ride somewhere, take them shopping or do their shopping for them. She made people casseroles when they were sick and took them to the doctor. She was just such a good friend."
It was her candor and ability to be forthright, Ms. Beauregard said, that made Ms. Green a wonderful person.
"She was always honest and had no problem telling you what she thought," she said. "But regardless of her feelings she would still help out when needed. She knew how to be a friend to everyone."
Karl Kusserow, president of the historical society, said that while he did not have the chance to spend much time with Ms. Green, he knew her to be a good friend to the society.
"She performed an enormous range of functions over more than two decades," he said. "She was everything from a docent to the president. I think they even called her out of retirement to serve another term as president."
He said she was one of the prime movers and shakers in the society over the past 20 years.
"She will be sorely missed," Mr. Kusserow said. "She did so much for this society."
In May, the Historical Society held a Victorian Tea Lecture and Luncheon dedicated to Ms. Green. Mr. Kusserow said the society members were aware of her illness before she moved to Wisconsin and decided to name the tea lecture after her in order to honor her contribution to the society.
"We wanted her to know how much she meant to the town and to the society," he said. "It was an act of respect given to her before she died."
He said the society is planning to either continue to hold a tea lecture and luncheon named after her or come up with another way to honor her memory.
A memorial service for Ms. Green was scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday at A.S. Cole Son & Co. Funeral Home at 22 N. Main St. followed by a reception at the Cranbury Museum at 4 Park Place East.
"We wanted to give the family a chance to meet some of her friends and give the friends a chance to offer their condolences to the family," Ms. Wagner said. "I know her family has heard a lot about us and I’m sure they’ll love to hear about how much she meant to us."