Lynn Erbe
Lynn Harry Erbe, 83, passed away January 23, 2025 in Bozeman, Montana.
Lynn’s ashes will be scattered at Camp Carlisle on Clearwater Lake in Ontario, Canada this summer.
Lynn was born in Staples, in 1941 to Harry and Margaret Erbe. He was the fourth sibling of six brothers and sisters with whom he remained in touch throughout his life. Lynn graduated from Staples High School in 1959 as valedictorian of his class and received his B.A. Degree in 1963 from Concordia College in Moorhead, majoring in Mathematics and German. After one year studying abroad at the Free University in Berlin, Germany, he returned to the University of Nebraska and obtained an M.A. degree and PhD in 1968.
Lynn was a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada from 1968 -1996, a Visiting Professor at Kuwait University from 1995 -1997 and ended his career at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he taught for over 15 years. Over the course of his accomplished career, he wrote more than 200 research papers with more than 50 co-authors and mentored countless graduate students. His main interests were in oscillation theory and boundary value problems for differential and dynamic equations.
Lynn met his wife, Day Sey, in Vancouver, British Columbia and they were married in 1970. Lynn and Day Sey, along with their two daughters, spent summers at Camp Carlisle, a small fishing resort they had purchased in Northwestern Ontario on beautiful Clearwater Lake. ‘The Camp’ as it was referred to in the family, became the meeting place every summer for Lynn’s sisters and their children as well as his daughters and their families. Summers were spent swimming, water skiing, having bbqs, playing ping pong and brewing batches of homegrown beer, which Lynn loved to do. Many tournaments of frustration rummy were also played, with Lynn, as the Mathematician, keeping score.
Lynn had a deep appreciation for other languages, cultures and history and a deep love of classical music. He was kind, generous, compassionate and was known for his dry sense of humor. He believed strongly in getting an education, encouraging his sisters to go to college in 1950s rural Minnesota and supported his daughters through university. Over the years, Lynn and Day Sey also gave to countless organizations who helped people in need.
In the second half of his life, Lynn was dealt a challenging hand when he became disabled from what was likely post-polio syndrome. It made it such that he increasingly became unable to do things that had previously brought him joy like playing squash, tennis, downhill skiing or simply tinkering around the Camp. Yet his disability didn’t seem to affect his joy of life and the love he had for his family. It also didn’t prevent Lynn and Day Sey from traveling to countless countries before and after their retirement, going on trips or cruises to Mexico, South America, Alaska, Australia and Europe, continuing their mutual love of travel and culture.
Even when he had become wheelchair bound in the past three years and his mind was failing him because of Alzheimer’s, Lynn still had his sense of humor and joked around, enjoyed his beer, and was still pleasant, kind and loving. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
Lynn is preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Marlene and LaRee and one brother, Glen.
He is survived by his wife Day Sey; two daughters, Lisa (David) and grandchildren Amélie and George of Frankfurt, Germany and Kareen (Jason) and grandson Taylor of Bozeman, MT; two sisters, Gale (Gordon) Martin of Pillager and Marge Moriarity of St. Bonifacius; one sister-in-law, Nancy (Mark) Lee of Melbourne, Australia; one brother-in-law Jark (Judy) Lau of Atlanta, GA and many loving nieces, nephews and friends.
The family would like to thank the nurses and caregivers at The Springs and Stillwater Hospice in Bozeman for the care they provided Lynn in his final days.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank in Bozeman, Montana at gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org or send a check to P.O. Box 1129 Bozeman, Montana 59771.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
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