Wynona “Wynn” Powers of Oyster Bay died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on April 25, 2012. She was 88.
Wynn was a dedicated member of the Oyster Bay community, serving on the board of directors of the Doubleday-Babcock Senior Center (now the Life Enrichment Center), The Youth and Family Counseling Agency of Oyster Bay-East Norwich, The Community Foundation of Oyster Bay and the vestry of Christ Church.
She was born Mary Wynona Cougill in 1924 in Newark, Ohio, and in the 1940s moved to New York City, where she worked as an executive secretary at the American Red Cross and the American Federation of the Arts.
She married her husband John in 1947, and after the war traveled with him to Cairo, Paris and London while he served as a diplomatic courier.
They returned to the US in 1953 to raise a family, and in 1969 moved to Oyster Bay, the area she had grown to love when she first met her husband’s aunt and uncle, Drs. Myron and Mildred W. Jackson. She devoted herself to family and community service, and was also a talented artist and competitive golfer. Her paintings were sought after items at local fundraisers; she was represented by a New York gallery.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Thelma, her brother Robert, her beloved sister Norma, her devoted husband John and her cherished grandson Kenneth Polk. She is survived by her brother Frederick Cougill of AZ, daughters Pamela Polk of Berlin, MD, Lynn Finn (Kevin) of Oyster Bay, son Jack Powers (Theresa) of Huntington, grandchildren Charlene Sharpe (Chris), Alexandra, Charles, Peter, Sally, and Wendy, and her nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, May 12, at Christ Church, Oyster Bay, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Kenny J. Polk Memorial Scholarship, Taylor Bank, 9923 Golf Course Rd., Ocean City, MD 21842.
