Lynn Casson

Mary Lynn Farley Casson (born June 4, 1941) died on August 15, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, following a short illness. Lynn was born in Maryville, Tennessee, and lived briefly during her childhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, before returning to East Tennessee in the mid-1940s. Her fondest memories - from childhood through adulthood - were of Fort Loudon Lake, where her family kept a cabin throughout the fifties, sixties, and seventies.

In 1959, she graduated from Maryville High School and then attended both the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens.

After living briefly in Chattanooga and in Atlanta, Georgia, during 1964 and 1965, she eventually settled in Cleveland, Tennessee, where she lived from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s.

During this time, she was part owner of the Old Fort Inn, a popular local restaurant that was sold in 1974, at which point she obtained her realtor's license after completing courses at Cleveland State Community College. She also served during the late 1970s as director of the PTA at Mayfield Elementary School, where she organized the annual Fall Festival; worked at the Cleveland Public Library, Ocoee Travel Service, and Bowles Furniture; and was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church.

In 1987, she moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where she worked as the assistant to the CEO of Proffitt's Department store and then as a manager at Arrow Exterminators. She eventually relocated to Chattanooga, Tennessee, in early 2021 to be closer to her son.

Survivors include her son (Lee Casson of Chattanooga, Tennessee), a niece (Holly Fenner Keeran of Murfreesboro, Tennessee), a niece (Amy Fenner Briley of Pickens, South Carolina), a nephew (Vince Fenner of Jacksonville, Florida), a cousin (Sally Hock Brooks of Crestwood, Kentucky), a cousin (Suzy Hock of Elizabeth City, North Carolina), her partner of many years (Jerry Borse of Seattle, Washington), her dear friend (Joyce Lee of Knoxville, Tennessee), and numerous great nephews and great nieces.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Anzel Henry (1979) and Paulita Knight (1980) Farley; by her aunt, Henrietta Farley Hock (2023); by her brother, Hank Farley (1950); by her sister, Carolyn Jo Farley Fenner (2017); and by her brother-in law, Robert Fenner (1979).

A private memorial service will be held later at Fort Loudon Lake.

In lieu of flowers - and to honor her lifelong love of dogs (Lady, Duke, Toto, Jingles, Sandy, and Tedi) -donations can be made to McKamey Animal Shelter in Chattanooga, Tennessee, or to any local pet Adoption center.