H. Milton (Red) Lynes

Date of Death: October 1, 2026

Service Details

His family will receive friends Saturday, October 17, 2026 beginning at 10:00 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 56050 Buckhorn Rd. A memorial service will follow at 11:00 a.m. at the church with Pastor Vicky Blough officiating. A light lunch will be provided following the service.

Obituary Notice

Milton (Red) Lynes, 86, of Three Rivers, passed away Thursday, October 1, 2026 at his home surrounded by his loving family.

He was born October 7, 1939 in Billings, Montana, the son of Herbert A. and Margaret (Dinsmore) Lynes, and graduated from Maine East HS in Parkridge, IL with the Class of 1961.

Red was an entrepreneur who found a niche at fitting in. His many ventures included Uncle Milt’s Snack Shop, M&T Associates, a commercial cleaning business, and working at True Value Hardware. In all his work, he made many friends and touched positively the lives of many.

He was united in marriage to Trudy Shafer on August 19, 1967. Together they supported each other and raised two children. It, however, was more than that. Red and Trudy would often provide shelter for other children in unfortunate or struggling living situations. In their free time they enjoyed camping and watching movies. Time was always made in the summer for a family trip. Sometimes it was to visit to his brother Bob in Arizona other times it was to visit to his parents in Laguna Hills, CA. A yearly trek was always made to Cedar Point as Milton “Red” loved to ride roller coasters. Other great family memories included trips to Mammoth caves, also Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Zephyrhills, Florida.

Red was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and the Woodworkers Guild of Kalamazoo Michigan, as well as an avid bowler at South Lanes. He often spent time in his shop designing and assembling furniture, cabinetry and toys. As a self-taught woodworker he was skilled at many things from building a staircase, making a cabinet, to wiring an outlet and installing a toilet. He was truly a Jack of all trades.

Red faced adversities in his life from the time he was born. The application of twilight sleep to his mother during delivery found him waiting much too long to take his first breaths. Those delayed first breaths led to difficulties through his life with balance and coordination. He continued to prove to the world every single day that he could do anything he wanted, and he often did, defying the odds of what people thought him capable. This continued drive and determination may have led to bruises on his body or recoveries from broken bones including a C2 dens fracture, of which only 10% survive, or maybe even a fractured femur or humerus. Red would just chalk it up to a delay in the time for him to get out and tackle the next obstacle or enjoy the next adventure.

For those who knew him best he was truly an inspiration. His soft voice and caring spirit were ever present. He had an understanding of adversity that few people knew and that understanding gave him a compassionate heart capable of meeting people where they were and inspiring them to continue. It was not uncommon for him to share a Pepsi and sit down and listen, only to turn around and become their biggest cheerleader. A “YOU CAN DO IT” from Red was there to inspire them to conquer their next challenge or adversity.

Remaining to cherish his memory are his wife, Trudy Lynes; son, Milton “Doug” (Stephanie) Lynes; daughter, Dawn (Scott) Criswell; grandson, Ian Gregory Criswell; and brother, James Alexander Lynes.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Robert Dinsmore Lynes.

Additional Information

Donations in Red’s memory may be directed to Three Rivers Hospice. Envelopes will be available at the church and at Hohner Funeral Home.

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