Lynn Vance

Phoenix, Arizona– Lynn Scroggs Vance, 79, formerly of Canton, passed away on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at the Terraces of Phoenix, a Senior Living Retirement Center.

Lynn was born on February 15, 1942 to James Samuel and Hilda Kate Scroggs of Canton.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, James Martin and an infant daughter, Elizabeth.

Lynn graduated from Canton High School in 1960.  She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in art and an elementary teaching certificate from Queens College in Charlotte, a Master’s degree in early-childhood education from East Carolina University and certification to be a principal from Washington State University.

She taught school at Fort Bragg, NC before moving to Plymouth, North Carolina and later to Longview, Washington in 1977 where she taught first and fifth grades at Mint Valley Elementary before moving into administration.  Lynn served as principal of Longview Summer School and several other schools in the area before becoming a new principal for a  school under construction, Pioneer Primary School and later at Fort Stevens Elementary School in Yelm.  She loved working with teachers and kids and exploring new ideas and programs.

Lynn dearly loved her family and special friends.  Spending time with them was her greatest joys and she touched many lives.  She was a wonderful hostess welcoming visitors and showing them the Pacific Northwest, St. Helen’s and the Mount Rainier, and the rugged Pacific coast.  Lynn also enjoyed bringing friends to North Carolina to meet her family and see the beauty here.

A highlight of her career was joining other educators and traveling to Shanghai to teach English to the Chinese children.  Lynn loved their eagerness to learn.  She traveled by train to several other cities where she loved seeing the beautiful gardens and of course shopping at Suzhou silk capital, the Pudong area, and Pearl Market, buying gifts to bring back home.

After retiring, Lynn was active in the University Place Presbyterian Church, P.E.O. Sisterhood and volunteered at the Safe Street Campaign, a grassroots organization helping to create safe streets and healthy communities and hosting a national night out block party for her neighborhood.

Surviving are her sister, Phyllis Vance of Canton; sons, Byron Wheeler and wife, Frankie, of Phoenix, Arizona and Justin Wheeler and wife, Courtney, of University Place, Washington; six grandchildren, Hayden, Jesse Lynn, Logan, Brady, Anna, and Ben; and one great-grandson, Paxton.

A graveside committal will be held at 9:30 a.m. at Bon-A-Venture Cemetery, Old Clyde Road and a memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 10, 2021 at Canton Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Esta Jarrett officiating.  A reception will follow at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Canton Presbyterian Church, 190 Main Street, Canton, NC  28716, Safe Streets Campaign, 622 Tacoma Avenue S, Tacoma, WA  98402, PEO Sisterhood Continuing Education Scholarship, c/o Alice Amblad, 7411 Phillips Lane SW, Lakewood, WA  98498, or to ZOE Empowers, P.O. Box 28839, Raleigh, NC  27611.

The care of Lynn has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Homes of Canton and an online memorial register is available at “Obituaries” at www.wellsfuneralhome.com