Grace Lyon Lenk LIVED her 88 years, 5 months and 27 days. Strong, feisty, spunky and a force of nature, Grace was the life of the party and a free spirit who always did things her way, and pretty much always got everyone around her to do them her way too. This made her well-suited for a sales career that included custom appliquéd denim shirts and jeans, Cadillacs and real estate.
She believed passionately in women’s equality in every sphere of life. She was a teacher, not just by education with a degree from the University of Pittsburgh, but of the qualities needed for success in life — independent thought (“if everyone was jumping off the bridge, would you jump too?”) and hard work (“If you want to be a plumber, be the best plumber.”), which drove her to be a founding member and first religious school principal for the New Reform Temple in Kansas City, Missouri.
Always on the lookout for a new experience, she embraced technology like no one else her age and loved to travel, particularly when she got to use her Marriott timeshares. She was known for welcoming friends and acquaintances into her home, especially to celebrate the Jewish holidays.
Grace loved her family fiercely — her husband Jim of 66 years who preceded her in death, her sisters Shirley and Mimi, son Franklin and his wife Martie, daughter Barbara and her husband Roger Harrington, and son David, as well her five grandchildren, Lyon, Adam, Mattie, Matthew and Elizabeth. She made friends everywhere, including her communities at The Bayshore and Sun City in South Carolina. A brief memorial service was held on April 7, 2021.
Donations may be made in Grace’s honor to one of the following: Memory Matters of Hilton Head Island, The Democratic National Committee, or Hadassah
