Lynda Brooks Bracey (1965-2023)
Lynda (Benson) Brooks Bracey was one of the most kind and genuine people that you will ever meet.
She was approachable, enthusiastic, considerate, and thoughtful. She touched many different lives in a lot of ways during her life, which unfortunately ended way too early. We all have many wonderful memories of how she impacted us and made our lives a little bit better by getting to know her.
Lynda was born on December 25, 1965, at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, NJ. Her parents were James and Carlene Benson. She has an older sister, Elizabeth Benson. Her family moved to Scottsdale, AZ, when she was young. Her father owned a furniture store in downtown Scottsdale and Lynda enjoyed learning about decorating and arranging a home. During her childhood she learned to play the flute and was active in swimming as well as Girl Scout Brownies. Lynda graduated from Chaparral High School in Scottsdale in 1984.
Lynda went to college at Northern Arizona University and graduated in four years with a Bachelors Degree in Fashion Merchandising in 1988. She worked in retail all four years at Dillard’s while taking a full class load as well as working as a Resident Assistant for several years in the dorms, providing support and mentorship to the younger girls. In her junior year she was selected as one of two advisors to the women in Spurs (a service organization). Lynda has always been involved with helping others and participated in service organizations to aid her classmates as well as some of the less fortunate people in Flagstaff. In addition to Spurs, she also worked with the Mum Girls service organization.
After college Lynda married Robert Brooks on May 21, 1988, in Scottsdale, AZ.
Over the next few years, she moved around while supporting her husband as he finished his graduate training in Prosthetics. They ultimately settled in Las Vegas, where they opened a successful Prosthetics business, and Lynda ran the office. This further supported Lynda’s desire to be involved in activities that helped others. They had a son, Ryan Cameron Brooks, who was born on July 12, 2000. Within the next several years her husband Bob was found to have a particularly aggressive form of leukemia and she helped him get treatment at specialty centers on the West Coast. Unfortunately, Bob died of his leukemia on Feb 15, 2005.
During the end of Bob’s illness, Lynda decided to make a career change that allowed her more flexibility in being present for her family. She became a successful realtor in Las Vegas. Her skills as a people person and ability to connect with people in meaningful ways helped her build a close community of friends. This community helped provide the village that supported her as she raised Ryan as a single parent. She was also active in the Church LV for twenty years and grew in that community as well.
Lynda and Jeff met in 2013. They felt magical together and ultimately were married in Sedona, AZ, on June 12, 2016, surrounded by close friends and family. Lynda actively worked to create another family with Jeff, Ryan, and Jeff’s three girls; Taylor, Morgan and Cameron. Her entire family will remember her for the special person she was and the impact she had on each of their lives. They spent memorable time together over holidays and many family vacation experiences, but her main impact was being present in their day to day lives.
Lynda enjoyed her leisure time by being active and spending time with family and friends.
She enjoyed hiking and loved being outside in nature. Although she loved the mountain air and sounds of the forest, she was most at home on the beach. She was a golfer, played tennis, waterskied, and was an avid snow skier known for her graceful form. She enjoyed traveling to many places over the years. Some of her favorite destinations include Maui, Sedona, Mammoth, Carmel, Paris, Italy, and numerous beaches in Southern California. She enjoyed memorable ski trips to Park City, Vail and Breckenridge. Lynda also enjoyed concerts, comedy shows and live sporting events. She especially enjoyed going to live major golf tournaments and attending Vegas Golden Knights hockey games.
Lynda especially enjoyed spending quality time with family and friends and brought many people into her sphere as “family she chose.” This was her term for the important friends and community in her life to which she gave her love and attention. This quality endeared her to so many people through the years who considered her a trusted and true friend. Combine that with her role in her family and she would say that was her life’s biggest joy and contribution. She impacted the lives of many people in a positive way and was a truly kind, thoughtful, generous and attentive person.
Lynda was active in community organizations such as the Leukemia Society, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and also participated in Las Vegas Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. Her work through the years with the Leukemia Society was a direct result of her experience with her first husband Bob. However her biggest involvement was in the Compassion and Choices campaign in Nevada where she fought to pass a medical aid in dying bill. Despite her progressive cancer and still undergoing treatment she fought tirelessly and become a spokesperson in Nevada for this cause. Even during her final months she continued to spend time speaking with state legislators and ultimately helped get the bill passed in the Nevada legislature for the first time. She was disappointed when the governor of Nevada ultimately vetoed the bill as being “unnecessary” and vowed to help continue the fight for others even after her death.
Lynda was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Boomer, a labradoodle, was a favorite pet for Ryan growing up. Most recently she brought in her puppy Rocco, a bernedoodle, who kept her company during her illness. She trained Rocco with the goal of being a therapy dog who could brighten the spirits of others.
Lynda retired in 2022 to continue fighting her cancer. She fought a brave battle against pancreatic cancer including major surgery, 23 rounds of different chemotherapy treatment and participated in two clinical trials in California. She continued to fight just to be able to spend a little more quality time with her family even though it became apparent that she would not beat the disease. She did manage to fight for almost 2 1/2 years.
Lynda passed away peacefully on June 23, 2023, at Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas and was surrounded by family and close friends. She is survived by her husband Jeff, son Ryan and three stepdaughters Taylor, Morgan and Cameron. She is also survived by her sister Elizabeth, and extended family of Sandy, Kathy, Tony and Randy as well as several godchildren and many close friends.
Lynda brought joy to all of those around her. She lived a full and meaningful life, although much too short. She will be remembered as a wonderful, loving wife, mother, and friend. She was a beautiful person who would light up any room she entered. Her impact will be felt in the lives of so many as time goes on. Her spirit can be summed up in the fact that even when it became apparent that she could no longer add days to her life, she still fought to add life to her remaining days. Lynda Brooks Bracey was a treasure in this world and will be forever missed.
