Lynda Jean Bashoor

Lynda Jean Bashoor, age 65, of Kenoza Lake (Cochecton) New York, passed away on August 17, 2025. An unknown cardiac episode sabotaged her quest for being one with nature ... the land, flowers, trees, birds, the donkey down the road she named Lydia and the tight connection with her bunnies and Willow her cat.

Lynda is survived by her mother Karen Worstell Bryant of Callicoon NY (husband and Lynda's step-father Edward Lagarde), sister Tracey Jo Taylor (husband Mark Taylor) of Pompton Lakes NJ, sister Cynthia Jill Bryant of Baltimore MD, son Frederick Lee Woods, IV of Cochecton NY, son Marshall Lee Woods of Cochecton NY and grandson Frederick Lee Woods, V of Raleigh NC. Lynda was also affectionate with a very large extended family in many states.

Lynda never missed an opportunity to give cards, her handmade flower arrangements and trinkets for traditional occasions as well as for those times she just wanted to share affection and appreciation for those she loved. She treasured her fraternal twin sons, Frederick Lee Woods, IV and Marshall Lee Woods, and shared them as a priceless gift with her mother Karen Worstell Bryant.

Lynda was conceived of high school children - Karen Worstell and John Kegg, born at the hospital in Mount Pleasant, Michigan on January 18, 1960. Maybe this day and age teenage parents would not be uncommon, but it was unique to Karen, who stopped being a cheerleader and became Pep Club President, and to John, who Karen cheered on in basketball telling her bleachers classmates, "that's my husband." Despite her parents drifting apart, Lynda maintained the James Dean good looks from her biological father til her dying day.

By age five, Lynda was adopted by her life-long father Robert Melvin Bryant, to whom she was totally devoted. Lynda's remains will rest by her father's grave at the Highland Mills Cemetery in Highland Mills, New York and she will be joined by her mother there at some point in the future.

Lynda and her siblings: Tracey, Cindy and Troy Thomas Bryant (deceased) shared an exciting childhood in Clare, Mount Pleasant and Birmingham Michigan, then on to a several-year stint in Japan along with her Aunt Brenda Newman to help where we could not read, write or speak.We learned. Lynda did some Vogue modeling there until her mother put on the skids when the Japanese started paying her exorbitant money for the Playboy-type TV ads ... she was stacked and gorgeous.

Subsequent to her attending college in Japan at Sophia and colleges in Maryland where we returned to live after Japan, Lynda had a number of business jobs. She then became an expert in medieval history, food and floral garland headwear, a segway to her business of several decades - "Garland Girl." Lynda created and customized thousands of headwear for events and groups throughout the U.S., like The Scottish Games in New York, as well as introducing and operating a medieval dinner theatre in Maryland with actors and authentic food. She was publicized and the likes of Johns Hopkins University booked retirement parties at her dinner theatre.

True to the sadness of separations today, Lynda and her husband Frederick Lee Woods, III were divorced. She later married David Bashoor (deceased) who loved and cared for her sons, and whose name she kept.

Lynda was talented. In junior high she was already an extremely accomplished piano player and wrote ~ 1000 compositions in her lifetime. Her exceptional skill was noted and had we not moved out of the area, she was selected to study with Van Cliburn at the Interlochen Music Camp in Michigan. Not to be overlooked, Lynda's singing style was probably most similar to Barbara Streisand. She could have been famous in many respects, but her love was for nature, animals and her sons. Her a capella song for her Aunt Phyllis and subsequently for other family (preserved by her beloved Aunt Jan Fahs) will be played at her own memorial service at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 30, The United Methodist Church, 484 Old Taylor Rd,Kenoza Lake NY followed at 3:30 p.m. by the Celebration of Life at the Jeffersonville Bake Shop, 2nd floor, 4906 NY-52, Jeffersonville NY. All are welcome with RSVP please by Wednesday, August 27, 5 p.m. to Lynda's mother Karenworstellbryant@gmail.com or text to 845-642-2765.

Donations instead of flowers please to: Reenies Rabbit Rescue (FB or on the internet search by reenie's rabbit rescue to reach the website).

Lynda's Aunt Jean Clarke comforts us with the analogy of life as an ocean trip - those we leave are crying and expecting to miss us; those we join will be excited to see us and celebrate.Lynda's grandfather Harley Orvil Worstell comforts us with the analogy that our body is a suitcase carrying the actual person. Just as we would not be concerned with discarding a worn out outfit from our bodies, we can try not to be concerned with discarding our human body from our forever soul. From dust we came; and to dust we will return.

Lynda was baptized into the church of Christ in College Park Maryland and embraced the principles of the scriptures as handed down by her family in West Virginia and Michigan. She treasures her heritage as 12th generation of the Bells of Scotland (maternal grandmother), the Worstells of Germany (maternal grandfather) as well as Native American Cherokee (both the Bells and Worstells). She will meet in her next home those who already there: her father Robert Melvin Bryant, her brother Troy Thomas Bryant, and other dear family and friends.