Lynda (Vannoy) Higgins

Lynda Vannoy Higgins (spelled with a ‘y’ and not an ‘i’, just to be clear), 81, of North Wilkesboro, NC, passed away on Friday, July 14, 2023, after a long and happy life filled with family picnics on the Blue Ridge Parkway, NYE celebrations with a few close friends, day trips to the beach in the off-season, long conversations on the screened porch, a kaleidoscope of concerts, dozens of Broadway shows, indie films, National Parks, red wine, spontaneous laughter, extra crispy bacon, chocolate in almost any form, a trillion loads of laundry, waaaay too many Life is Good t-shirts, and a black glass-top stove that never got as clean as she thought it should have, along with many other wonderful experiences…as well as a brief illness that turned out to be a real doozy in the end.

The daughter of Conard and Helen Vannoy (deceased), Lynda grew up working in her father’s ice cream shop on Boone Trail in the Cricket community. She graduated from Wake Forest University in just three years, shortly after being introduced to her beloved husband of 60 years (Tony Higgins) by one of her lifelong friends, Betty Higgins Pierce, who passed away in 2013.

A cherished wife, proud momma, doting nana and all-around good human, Lynda was always laughing at her own jokes and observations. Usually before the punchline, if there even was one. This was so common, in fact, that her husband often called her ‘Giggles’ or ‘Red’ (after Red Skelton). She enjoyed other people’s humor as well, the darker the better, especially that of Mel Brooks, Peter Sellers, John Cleese/Monty Python and George Carlin. “The End” starring Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise was one of her all-time favorite comedies. Fitting, we thought, to include in her obituary. It always made her laugh, especially during all the ‘wrong’ moments.

Lynda was Wilkes County’s first elementary school guidance counselor, and also worked as a social worker, teacher and school psychologist in both Wilkes and Mecklenburg County schools. She took her job very seriously and had a true gift for seeing the hidden talents in others, encouraging them to pursue careers that many said gave them real purpose and satisfaction. One of her closest friends says Lynda had a kind, gentle, soft-spoken manner and willingness to listen to others, which made her an outstanding social worker and special person.

In addition to her time in Wilkes County, Lynda spent several years living in Charlotte, Raleigh and Cary with Tony and their kids. When Tony retired and became a consultant, they sold their house and hit the road, residing in corporate apartments and extended stay hotels across America for nearly eight years. They had many wonderful and ‘interesting’ adventures together, including inching out of their 10th floor apartment in complete darkness during the 2003 New York City blackout and fleeing their Bourbon Street abode in New Orleans 3 hours before Hurricane Katrina hit. She traveled to 48 states + Canada and Mexico with Tony by her side.

Lynda LOVED shopping for greeting cards. If she knew your birthday and your address, you definitely got one from her. And not some last-minute grab, either, because she carefully selected and curated cards years in advance for specific friends and family members. She also loved to read and left behind in her purse lists and newspaper clippings of dozens of books we suspect she wanted to read or purchase to give to someone. Not surprising, given that when Lynda and Tony traveled to a new town, her first excursion was always to find the local bookstore (unless she really, really needed to pee).

Lest we fail to mention, Lynda’s ‘curiosity’ and power of observation were legendary. She wanted to know every detail of everything…whether in plain sight, just around the corner or three tables away…and would continue to ask questions until she got to the bottom of things. Tony eventually resorted to responding to her endless inquiries with the words “George Washington” to shut it down. Similarly, she never had a comment she didn’t complete. It wasn’t so much about having the last word as much as finishing what she had to say. Because those two things were different, according to her. I’m just sayin’.

Ironically, she was a lifetime hoarder of…wait for it…cleaning supplies. Sprays, scrubs, polishes, mitts, sponges, pads, mops and more. You name it, she had it. And an extra, just in case. She also possessed enough dental floss to encircle the earth 7 times.

Thanks to her love of Britbox and Tony’s completely indecipherable combination of internet TV and remote controls, Lynda had no choice but to weather the pandemic without strangling Tony in his sleep ;) She admittedly did not have a single arts and crafts bone in her body and was constantly baffled by both her children’s and her grandchild’s interests and skills in these areas. Much to her children’s disappointment, she had an unnatural aversion to virtually every board and card game ever invented. Though she did enjoy crossword puzzles. And solitaire. Lots of solitaire. But only on her iPad.

In addition to her adoring husband, Tony, Lynda leaves behind two grateful children; Melissa Twaroski (Jim) of Atlanta, GA, and Scott Higgins (Jess) of Brooklyn, NY, and one Nana-loving grandchild, Indra of Brooklyn, NY. She is also survived by one brother, Frank Vannoy (Lucille) of Millers Creek and several dear, lifelong friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Conard and Helen Vannoy of Cricket, a sister, Louise V. Osborne (Quentin), and a brother (Joe) she never met.

There will be no funeral. At her request, she is being cremated so no one can look in her casket and quietly exclaim, “don’t she look good!” Please honor her memory by setting a random alarm on your smartphone with the old Jan and Dean song “Linda” at full volume. Then, in your head, imagine her shouting “TONY, TURN OFF THAT RACKET!”

The family requests no flowers. Given how much Lynda loved to read and buy books for all the children in her life, if you wish to express condolences to the family, please consider making a donation to one of these two charities:

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library https://donate.imaginationlibrary.com/

or Kids Need to Read https://www.kidsneedtoread.org/

Miller Funeral Service is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com