Watkins, Lynda Kay(Milligan)Thornhill

wife of Charles Thornhill/divorced wife of Laurence E’Larry’Watkins

Death Date: 2020, 07/09       Wichita, Sedgwick County, KS

Burial Date:  2021,  07/26        Age:  76             Lot: 863 A  Crems

Death Date: 2020,  07/09

Lynda Kay Milligan Watkins, 76, died peacefully at her home in Wichita, surrounded by her family, on July 9, 2020. Lynda was born to S.W. “Pat” Milligan and Fern R. (Cunningham) Milligan in 1943 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where her father was a foreman on the Manhattan Project. She was the second of four children. She grew up in Belleville and Augusta, Kansas, where she studied piano (already accompanying her school choir in the eighth grade) and played clarinet in the marching band. She attended Sterling College, where she met and married Laurence Watkins, and earned a degree in Christian education in 1964. After her graduation, Lynda and Larry lived in Louisville, Kentucky, where she worked for the state’s department of rehabilitation, then Richmond, Virginia, where she completed a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation from Virginia Commonwealth University within days of giving birth to their first child, Alisa. The family later settled in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where their son, Andrew, was born. Over the next two decades in Fredericksburg, Lynda served in a variety of roles as a professional musician. She was the music director for the Fredericksburg Theatre Company for fifteen years, directed children’s music and the handbell choir at The Presbyterian Church, where she was also a member, and was the organist for Temple Beth Sholom for more than ten years. She served as accompanist for the Fredericksburg Singers and a number of other college, high school, and community productions and was the guest organist for several area churches. For her brother’s wedding, she surprised him by learning and playing the famous Toccata from Charles-Marie Widor Symphony for Organ No. 5. She also maintained a private piano teaching practice. Following her divorce and her son’s high school graduation, Lynda moved to Wichita, Kansas, where her mother lived, and earned a master’s degree in church music from Friends University. She served as organist for First United Methodist Church, Dellrose United Methodist Church, and Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church, and accompanied several productions at Northeast Magnet High School. She also sang with the Wichita Symphony Chorus. She worked for a number of years at Galichia Medical Group. In 2009, Lynda married Charles Thornhill, a retired associate professor. Lynda and Charles were members of Calvary United Methodist Church, where they were faithful members of their Sunday school class and served as greeters. Lynda loved a good cup of Earl Grey tea and a good book. She also loved cats, chocolate, and crosswords. She gave great hugs and was a warm, patient, and supportive friend, sister, and mother. She was dearly loved and will be greatly missed. Lynda is survived by her husband, Charles Thornhill; her daughter, Alisa Watkins; her son-in-law, Tony Burch; her grandchildren, Bronwen and Ethan; and her son, Andrew Watkins, all of Wichita; her siblings, Dr. Ralph Milligan (Rosanne) of Austell, Georgia; Dr. Donald Milligan (Linda) of Mission, Kansas; and Jane (Milligan) Davidson (Ken) of Hutchinson, Kansas; as well as six nieces and nephews. A private family service and interment will be held at Sterling Cemetery in Sterling, Kansas.