Lynn turns the key to her 4Runner, opens the sunroof, puts chunky sunglasses on, and presses play on the stereo. Bob Seger cries out: “It seems like yesterday But it was long ago, Janey was lovely she was the queen… against the wind.”

Lynn was a loving charismatic woman who loved music, loved life, and loved her family more. She could recall the title to any song from 1963 to present, and sing the lyrics to any Bob Seger, Eagles, AC/DC, or Tom Petty song word for word.

Lynn was born October 28th, 1963 to Wayne Giffard and Sandra (Giffard) Babineau at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. She had an older brother Robert Giffard (since deceased), and a younger sister Darlene Giffard of Bangor. They grew up in Eddington Maine, until her parents separated and eventually divorced. They moved from Eddington to Orrington, and eventually settled in Brewer where Lynn attended grade school.

Lynn graduated from Brewer High School in 1982. Her senior quote was: “I like to rock”, which was a true statement. She brought high spirits and high energy to everything she did. When gathering with friends and family she could often be caught cranking up the music, perhaps a couple notches too loud while making the “rock on” sign with her fist.

After high school, Lynn started a successful career in restaurant management by traveling around the state running and opening restaurants for Bonanza. When she was ready to settle down and develop roots, she started working for Rand Dentistry in Brewer, Maine. She worked as a secretary for Dr. Rand for over 30years and was very proud to work for him as it allowed her to pursue her other goal in life, raising a family.

Family meant a great deal to Lynn. She married Samuel Yoder, the love of her life, in September of 1990 and started a family shortly after. She had two loving children, Abbie Yoder in 1993, and Lucas Yoder in 1996. Lynn was not only mother to her biological children, but to her nephew Jason and nieces Jessica and Kaitlyn. She loved nothing more than to spend time with them, and help raise them. Lynn firmly believed that it takes a village to raise a child, and played role of “Auntie Lynn” and “other mother” to the children of close friends and chosen family. Lynn always made friends everywhere she went and extended kindness and community to everyone around her.

Lynn was a loving wife and mother first, but on Monday nights, Lynn played volleyball with her longtime girlfriends at the Brewer Rec where they would occasionally win a game or two. These friends carried Lynn’s spirit and amplified the joy that always surrounded her.

Lynn was kind. She never said a bad word about anyone and even animals could sense this kindness. Lynn on numerous occasions would befriend a bird, a deer, or a squirrel, and feed them by hand. Lynn also loved to garden. She had green thumb which she passed on to her children. Lynn had a deep love for petunias and geraniums. She loved the vibrant colored flowers that could be seen in her flower boxes from the end of the driveway at their home in Brewer. Lynn could often be seen dead heading the old flowers from petunias everywhere she went.

The highlight of her holiday season was throwing the annual Yoder Christmas Party, where the invitations extended to friends and chosen family alike. Every year the stack of invitations got taller and taller, and Lynn often had to make a special trip to the grocery store to buy more stamps to send them all.

The remainder of the year was spent visiting chosen family. Memorial Day was marked by a lobster feed visiting with the Eremita family at their camp in Stonington, Maine. Independence Day, and many other weekends during the summer, were celebrated at Beech Hill Pond with the Valley family at their camp in Otis, Maine. These lifelong chosen family helped bring so much happiness and joy to Lynn and her family all phases of life. Every calendar month of the year was marked with something she looked forward to celebrating with them.

In the song “Against the wind”, by Bob Seger, Lynn’s favorite song, the metaphor of running "against the wind" represents the struggles and the perseverance required to navigate life's ups and downs, and Lynn fought hard every day in the end. In August of 2022, Lynn was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic lung cancer. She knew that it would be a long, hard battle ahead, but she was determined to go “kicking and screaming” up until the end. Lynn ran against the wind until August 18th of 2025, when she finally joined it. Lynn passed away peacefully, surrounded by family that loved her. During this tender moment, Lynn and her family listened to her favorite rock bands. The encore to Lynn’s life was “Shoot to Thrill” by AC/DC.

The Yoder family sends its deepest thanks to the kind people at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center - Lafayette Family Cancer Care Institute where Lynn received her chemotherapy treatments every Tuesday, and the most thoughtful care any cancer patient has ever received. Thank you.

There will be a private celebration of life at a future date. Messages and memories may be shared with Lynn’s family on the tribute wall of kileyandfoley.com.