Lynnette Cobb was special. Her compassion and positive outlook helped thousands of local citizens over bad patches. She always put the needs of others first during her 42-year battle with Multiple Sclerosis. She lost that battle December 1.
Lynnette ‘s family moved from Chilliwack to a Big Lake ranch when she was nine. She met Walt Cobb in secondary school in Williams Lake, they married in 1965. They lived in different communities, but always kept horses somewhere. Horses and dogs played a big part in Lynnette’s life. They’ve always worked as a team, and in 1969, the two opened Walt’s Men’s shop in the Hodgson Place Mall, then added Lynette’s Look, later relocating to Oliver St. The family, which then included two children, moved to town in 1977. Walt was elected to city council in 1980, the beginning of his political career.
Lynnette was diagnosed with MS in 1982. The illness is progressive and the time came when she could no longer manage the shop, nor ride horses. When her father died in 1991, Lynnette took grief counselling, and decided counselling was something she could do. During her long volunteer career she was a support worker with Crisis Line, a counsellor with Mental Health, and she created an MS self -help group. She was 1997’s Citizen of the Year for volunteering 3,000 hours as a Court Supporter for RCMP Victim Services. In 2014 she received the BC Community Achievement Award for her 50,000 volunteer hours to the community. She supported Walt’s political career all the way. All this while she was confined to a wheel chair and coping with a devastating illness. No matter how ill she was, no one ever heard her complain. A special lady indeed.
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday everyone. Snow or no snow, have a good one.
