Lynn Martin Van Buren

Lynn Martin Van Buren was born April 27, 1943, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He died on October 11, 2025, at Topeka, Kansas, and is survived by his wife, Marjorie; his son, Jay; daughter-in-law, Catherine; and two grandsons, Theodore and Gareth.

The third of three sons of James G. and Margaret E. Van Buren, Lynn moved with the rest of the family from a small Indiana town to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when he was three. One of his often-told memories from the early days in Pittsburgh was of being “arrested” on his tricycle while riding around the block. The officers didn’t know where he belonged. Fortunately some of the neighbors were able to identify the little boy as belonging to the family who had recently moved into the parsonage near the church where his father was pastor.

Growing up just a few short blocks from Forbes Field, where the Pittsburgh Pirates played baseball, Lynn quickly developed a lifelong love of that sport. There were stories of attending Ladies’ Day games with his mom, and of sneaking into the stadium late in the game with his brothers, as well as rueful reminiscences of shouts heard through an open classroom window when September games produced a Pirates home run. He was proud of the fact that after delivering newspapers in the way-too-early mornings for several years, twelve-year-old Lynn was able to work his way into selling papers on a corner near the University of Pittsburgh, in the afternoon.

In 1960, the family moved to Manhattan, Kansas, where Lynn graduated from Manhattan High School in 1961 and from Manhattan Bible College in 1965. A pivotal experience from his years in Manhattan was the freighter trip he took with his parents around the Mediterranean and back, the summer after his senior year in high school. Spending the money saved for college on that trip meant living at home for the next four years, attending Manhattan Bible College and Kansas State University, and having his mother type his papers for him.

It also meant he was there to meet Marjorie when she arrived to go to graduate school at KSU. He was greatly disappointed to learn, after they married in 1966, that his wife was not going to type any papers for him! Even without an in-house typist, Lynn succeeded in earning a BA in History from Sterling College in 1968 and an MA in History from Emporia State University in 1970. Between 1965 and 1972, Lynn also pastored two small Christian churches, first in Gridley, Kansas, and later in Osage City.

After very briefly considering becoming an archivist (there’s a story that goes with that), Lynn embarked on a career as a registered representative with Columbian Securities and later with OFG Financial Services, advising individuals on investing and retirement planning. Having been interested in the stock market from his grade school days, he found this work a good fit, and in later years he took considerable satisfaction from seeing how his clients had prospered.

Always interested in family, Lynn was a stay-at-home dad in Topeka for several years following the birth of his son, Jay. He kept in touch with his extended family through trips to North Carolina and later by internet, and with Jay and his family through visits and video calls. He researched his ancestry and before his death had completed the draft of a novel based on the life of Harmon Van Buren, a Revolutionary War militiaman, seven grandfathers back. (And yes, Martin Van Buren was a relative, leading Lynn to refer to the 8th President as “cousin Martin.”)

Lynn’s interests beyond his family were wide ranging. He loved travel (having visited about 40 countries over his lifetime), reading, golf, good food, and good conversation. His dedication to Kansas State University sports and Kansas City Chiefs football was legendary among his friends. He enjoyed lengthy ocean cruises, learning new ideas and skills at conferences and training courses (Avatar, ISSSEEM, Qi Gong, and Yoga, among others), and golf competitions with his brothers.

Those who knew him best knew Lynn as a man of character, one could be counted on when people needed him. He wouldn’t have owned the label “feminist,” but he defended the rights of women as well as of men. He scared off a would-be mugger by a show of strength and street-savvy. Often a tease or a joker, he was honest when it mattered.

Lynn was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, great-uncle, and friend. His genuine warmth, infectious sense of humor, and excellent memory for facts (whether important, trivial, or invented) will be greatly missed on this plane.

A Memorial Celebration for Lynn is planned for 2:30pm December 14, 2025 in the Cultural Arts Center at Brewster Place.1205 SW 29th St, Topeka, KS 66611.

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