BARRE — John Scott Lynds, 56, passed away at UVM Medical Center on Oct. 24, 2020. He was born in Randolph, son of John and Lillian (Hadley) Lynds of Bridgewater.
John attended the Bridgewater Village School and graduated from Woodstock Union High School. Johnny lived for many years in Chittenden and Addison counties working for Farrell Distributing and Denecker Chevrolet before moving to Barre in 2007. He married his wife Stacey in 2004 and was proud to become a father to Elyssa in 2012. Family and friends were the center of John’s world and everyone he met was welcomed. John will forever be remembered as the big guy with the big smile and generous heart.
It was at the Bridgewater Village School starting out on a practice pad rented from Ellis Music, that John discovered his passion for music and the drums. In high school John played various drums in the marching band and was instrumental in the development of the high school jazz band. After high school John continued to expand his music abilities playing in rock bands such as Dawg House and Major Havock. In 1992 the band Johnny Devil was born, playing gigs in Addison County and across Vermont until they played their last gig together in September of 2018. Lifelong friendships and friends who became family are the legacy of the Johnny Devil Band, with stories, music and memories that will be shared for many years to come. Nothing made John happier than being on stage with the boys and having a crowd of friends to entertain.
John had a great love of the outdoors that began when he participated in Boy Scouts as a young boy, earning his Eagle Scout in 1980. His Eagle project brought movies to Bridgewater and was one of his favorite memories of his Scout career. His first jobs were as a Scout camp counselor, sharing his love for Scouting and the outdoors with other young boys. His love and knowledge of the outdoors led him to his career in outdoor tourism. His friendly personality and big welcoming smile assisted him in greeting customers and befriending coworkers.
John spent his winters working at Snowmobile Vermont as a tour guide and as manager of the Stowe location. Snowmobiling and the snowmobiling community quickly became a way of life and an extended family for John. He was the president of the Green Mountain Roamers in Waterbury and the VAST Washington County Director for many years.
During the summers John worked as a program manager at Umiak Outdoor outfitters organizing river trips and helping customers explore the world of kayaking and canoeing. He loved his time on the water and enjoyed being part of the Umiak crew.
John is survived by his wife Stacey; his daughter Elyssa; his brothers Aaron and his wife Florence, Peter, and Tim and his wife Ann; his step-grandson Kaleb Gorton; and his beloved nieces and nephews, Zoe, Mae, Ben, Evan, Levi, Edwin and Kevin.
He is predeceased by his parents John and Lillian Lynds
John will be laid to rest next to his parents at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Bridgewater in a private graveside service.
In lieu of flowers please make donations to The Barre Town EMS at PO Box 116, Websterville, VT 05678. Without them, we would not have been able to have John live at home for as long as he did
The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family. An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com.◊