Evelyn Lipshires Lyons died on February 18, 2020 at Country Meadows in Lancaster, PA. She was 92 years old. The daughter of Minnie Alberts Lipshires and David M. Lipshires, she was born in 1927 in Northampton MA. She earned her B.A. at Smith College and her Master of Library Science at Columbia University. A resident of Lancaster since 1960, she held positions as librarian at Franklin and Marshall College and Millersville University. She was known for her dedication to the causes of peace and social justice, and her involvement in a number of local civic and political organizations. These included the Lancaster Public Library, Planned Parenthood, and the American Civil Liberties Union. She was also a founding member of the Susquehanna Valley Alliance, established in the wake of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in 1978, and which successfully opposed the dumping of contaminated water into the Susquehanna River. Later in life, she served on the board of the Downtowners, an organization promoting life in the city for seniors. She maintained a wide circle of friends and an interest in political events until the end of her life.
She was pre-deceased by her husband Will Lyons and her brother Sidney Lipshires, OF Hartford CT. She is survived by her children, Deborah of Oxford, Ohio, Jonathan (Michelle Johnson) of Bowen Island, British Columbia, and Benjamin of New Orleans, as well as her niece Lisa Lipshires and nephews Barney and Ellis Edmonds.
A memorial service will be held in the fall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in her honor to the Lancaster Public Library or Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania.
Cremation Services of Lancaster 717-273-6283