Finding Purpose in Connection: Celebrating Lynn Bronaugh’s Lasting Impact on Jacksonville
by: Hannah Washington, Data Development & Communications Coordinator of Jacksonville Community Center
Every Thursday morning at the Jacksonville Community Center (JCC), a quiet transformation takes place. Neighbors gather for Tai Chi and Qi Gong, centering themselves for the week ahead. Right at the heart of this routine for the last several years has been Lynn Bronaugh, a warm, familiar face ensuring everyone feels welcome. Though Lynn is now departing Jacksonville for a move to be closer to family in Washington State, her gift to JCC remains vibrant and lasting. We are happy to honor her and share our appreciation through her story!
“The JCC has many needs. Ask them how you can use your skills and talents. If you want to keep it simple, commit to checking in the class you are taking. Get involved and you will enjoy meeting like-minded people.”
Lynn’s journey into volunteering began organically. Already an enthusiastic student in Carolyn’s Tai Chi class from the beginning, Lynn noticed JCC’s transition to a new computerized check-in system. Rather than shying away, she and her friend Janney Marin stepped forward, mastered the technology together, and built a seamless, alternating weekly routine to check in classmates that has sustained the program for years.
For Lynn, showing up early wasn’t an inconvenience; it was a joy fueled by a deeply supportive staff and the collective spirit of the center. “It’s been fun to help with events when working alongside friends,” Lynn shares, noting that her local volunteer routine quickly expanded to include legendary stints as a Christmas elf, sponsoring an annual festive hula event, and working alongside her husband, Jeff, to kick-start vital center fundraising, along with Steve and Susan Casaleggio. When she wasn’t busy lending a hand, you could usually find Lynn out on the trails hiking, dancing hula, or unwinding with a great story—in fact, her favorite recent book is Remarkably Bright Creatures, a heartwarming tale she’s loved so much she has enjoyed it in print, on Audible, and on screen.
Whether grabbing lunch at local favorites like Good Bean, Pony Espresso, or Las Palmas, or dedicating hours to local preservation, community action has defined Lynn’s retirement.
Since moving to Jacksonville in 2019, Lynn’s personal definition of community shifted dramatically. Previously occupied by a busy professional career, retirement unlocked a passionate volunteer spirit. Starting with Food & Friends, she soon found herself giving back three times a week across seven local organizations, including the Jacksonville Boosters, the Cemetery, the Garden Club, and Southern Oregon Humane Society. Through this active schedule, Lynn discovered her “Ikigai”—the Japanese concept meaning a reason for being—finding deep physical health, lasting friendships, and mental satisfaction in service.
As Lynn and her husband look toward their new horizon in Camas, Washington, she looks back with profound respect for how JCC Executive Director Julie Raefield, Board Chair Sue Miler and the Board have guided the JCC over the past seven years into a self-sufficient, grant-funded anchor for the town. While she hopes to find an equally welcoming volunteer ecosystem up north, the legacy she leaves behind in Jacksonville is a powerful blueprint for community engagement. The JCC will dearly miss her joyful presence, but her story remains an open invitation to us all: to get involved, bring your unique talents, and discover your own purposeful place in our community.
If you are interested in volunteering and finding ways to get involved with the JCC, please reach out to our awesome volunteer and facility coordinator, Tori Wood! Her email is vwood@jacksonvillecommunitycenter.org | phone 541-702-2585
