Lynn N. Hein, Captain, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired), passed away at home on November 16, 2019.  He is survived by his loving wife Carol of 63 years, his sons Steven (Deborah) and Matthew (Maura), granddaughters Elizabeth (Matthew), Jennifer (David), Molly, grandson Conor, favorite niece Linda, and three great-grandchildren.

Lynn's life was defined by his love of the sea and the outdoors.  Growing up in south-central Los Angeles, he was near the Pacific beaches, local fishing piers, and the Sierra Nevada's. He started fishing shortly after he could walk and never stopped.  Active in scouting, he loved camping, and was especially proud of his Sea Explorers work restoring and operating a 36-foot LCVP boat.

His interest in the sea and the outdoors was put to great use when he was accepted as a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy at age 17.  After graduating in 1956, he served more than 30 years, retiring in 1986.  Lynn served afloat tours on the Coast Guard cutter Minnetonka, Long Beach, California, was skipper of the CG 95302, Long Beach, executive officer of the cutter Storis, Kodiak, Alaska, and commanding officer of the cutter Tamaroa, New York, New York.  Lynn also commanded a LORAN station (Libya) and sailed with Farrell Lines for a year of industry training.  He was one of the few Academy officers to be assigned in the Marine Inspection field in the 1960s which further defined his career.  His ashore assignments included Portland, Oregon, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, District of Columbia.

His many sea stories include the seizure of a Soviet fishing vessel in Alaska, coordinating the response to the Argo Merchant oil spill off Nantucket, driving a WWII tank in the deserts of northern Africa, catching that hammerhead shark on the 95 footer, and crawling through countless boilers and holds of ships all over the world.

After retiring, Lynn and Carol moved to the Charleston, SC area. Other than a recall to active duty for several months following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, a one-year stint with Exxon in Houston, and a brush with Hurricane Hugo, they enjoyed traveling, visiting with family and friends, playing bridge, and, of course, Lynn's fishing. In 2000, they built their modest dream house on the water at Lake of the Woods, Virginia.

Relatives and friends are invited to Lynn's visitation at Laurel Hill Funeral Home, 10127 Plank Road, Spotsylvania, Virginia, 22553 on Monday, November 25th from 1 PM until time of Celebration of Life at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, Lynn asked that donations be made to the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance be considered (see www.cgmahq.org) . In urnment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.