Ethelyn Cantrell Herman


Lyn Herman died at home on Shelter Island on Sunday, December18, 2009. She was 87 years old.

Lyn was born in 1922 and educated in Atlanta, Georgia publicschools. She interrupted college work at the University ofMinnesota to participate in a wartime training program for women inaeronautical engineering at Cornell and later worked for theCurtiss-Wright Corporation developing jet aircraft.

In 1945, she married Stewart Herman from Harrisburg,Pennsylvania. They moved immediately to Europe where Stewart, aLutheran minister, joined the staff of the World Council ofChurches in Geneva, Switzerland. He later became director of theLutheran World Federation’s service to refugees. Four children wereborn to them in Geneva – Nicholas and Christopher, twins, thenStewart and Lynda.

The family returned to the States in 1952 and lived inMontclair, New Jersey while Stewart continued his internationalwork. Lyn finished work on her liberal arts degree summa cum laudeat Upsala College in 1961.

In 1960, the family began summer residence on Shelter Island andmaintained the Island connection after the family moved to Chicagoin 1964, where Stewart became the first president of the LutheranSchool of Theology.

Retirement to Shelter Island came in 1971. Lyn became a trusteeof the Village of Dering Harbor and for many years served as thesecretary to the Shelter Island Association, in which she wasactive in the effort to preserve Section 9 and in waterconservation efforts.

She was a long-time member of the Garden Club of Shelter Islandand the Shelter Island Yacht Club, where Stewart was fleet chaplainfor many years.

Lyn was predeceased by her husband and is survived by herchildren and her grandchildren – Elizabeth and Katharine Herman,Andrew and David Thomas, and Emma and Daniel Herman.

A memorial service on Shelter Island, planned for May or June,will be announced.