Lynn Wayshner Ott

Lynn Wayshner Ott Obituary Lynn Marie Wayshner Ott, of Salem, Virginia, passed away peacefully at Roanoke Memorial Hospital on November 8, 2024, surrounded by her family & friends.Lynn grew up in Silver Spring, Md., and she graduated from Albert Einstein High School in 1971, as well as Colorado State University, plus Columbus State University with a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts.Lynn was always kind, positive and constructive and she lived life to the fullest. She was revered as a mentor, friend, and virtual mother to everyone along her journey through life.Lynn leaves behind a remarkable legacy of dedication to her conservation, caving, adventure, personal and work families.Lynn joined the Army in 1976 in which she trained as a Military Police Officer working with military police dogs; served as an Environmental Program Specialist for the Department of the Interior; for Mine Safety as a Health Assistant through the Department of Labor; was full-time caregiver for her mother until her passing in 2019; and the Virginia Tech Naval ROTC Department from 2019 until her own passing.Throughout her life, Lynn was passionate about environmental stewardship, Cavers & caving, bats, exploration, adventures and philanthropy.She began caving in 1972 and joined NSS in 1973 as NSS #15257, and she has been honored as a Fellow of the NSS and Fellow of the TRA, among many other awards.She was an active member of several grottoes and environmental organizations around the country and across the world and is famous as a leader and facilitator for caving groups in the Washington D.C. area during the 1970’s and 1980’s, plus almost everywhere she lived and caved across the US.She was preceded in death by her parents, William Wayshner and Ethel Lindsay.Lynn is survived by her longtime partner, Gene Harrison; brother, Mark Wayshner; several cousins including Michael and John Wayshner, Thomas Spruill, Paul Economon, Greg Sakes, and many others, as well as hundreds of friends worldwide. Lynn’s ashes will be spread at her beloved Cricket Maze Cave property, and a Celebration of Life will be held at the 2025 National Speleological Society convention in June in Cobleskill, New York.In lieu of flowers, please make charitable donations to The Cricket Maze Cave Conservancy (CMCC), CMCC, in care of Kim Fleischmann, 115 Stoneleigh Rd, Bel Air, MD 21014; The Robertson Association (TRA), or The West Virginia Cave Conservancy (WVCC), Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.johnmoakey.com or directly