Mary Lynne O’Byrne

October 3, 1941 - November 9, 2025

Mary Lynne O’Byrne née Shea, 84, of Edmonds, WA passed away peacefully at home after a short battle with cancer in the early hours of Sunday, November 9, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Mary Lynne was born and raised in Spokane, Washington to Robert and Lois Shea on October 3, 1941. She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1959. Mary Lynne married Stephen O’Byrne in 1962 and settled into her new life as a housewife and mother at the O’Byrne Family Ranch on the south side of Spokane. Mary Lynne and Stephen raised five children, along with plentiful animals and a bountiful garden. They spent their summers at Arrowpoint on Coeur d’Alene Lake in Idaho where her parents and uncle also had a residence. After the birth of her 5^th child, Mary Lynne returned to school to pursue a career in nursing, graduating in 1978 from the Intercollegiate Nursing Program through Eastern Washington University. Mary Lynne worked as a nurse at hospitals in Spokane as well as serving time as a Hospice Nurse. Mary Lynne retired from nursing as a Public Health Nurse with King County (Seattle) doing what she loved most, visiting Child Care Centers and playing with babies.

Mary Lynne and Stephen moved to Newcastle, WA in 1989, starting a new life west of the Cascades. New jobs, new friends, new relationships, Mary Lynne eventually settled in Edmonds, Washington in the household of her daughter Melanie where she spent her last working years and retirement.

Mary Lynne will be greatly missed by her many friends and family. She is survived by her former husband, Stephen O’Byrne; her children Joseph (Tim), Todd, Timothy (Michelle), Melanie (Brent), and Angela (Rick); her grandchildren Grace, John, Kyle, Connor, Cameron, Colton, and Alayna; and her great grandchildren Henry and Theo.

Mary Lynne loved life and lived it with the heart and faith of a child, always believing that good would happen, and it often did. She adored her grandchildren and always wanted to know what they were up to; she loved good food and being with family and friends; she loved getting out and seeing the world from weekend camping trips to visiting her favorite places in Europe. She never stopped wanting to learn new things, never stopped asking questions.

Mary Lynne loved God. It is a great comfort to her family and friends to know that she was welcomed into her heavenly home with her savior and the family and friends who have gone before her.

Mary Lynne’s remains will rest with her parents’ at Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane, Washington. A Celebration of Life will take place at the Heritage Funeral Home at 11AM on Monday, November 24^th.