Gone Too Soon, But Never Forgotten
By Lucy LeVon
Lynn M. Scutellaro, Courtesy Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation.
Lynn M. Scutellaro
October 29, 1978 – July 7, 2007
On October 29, 1978, Adele and Edward Scutellaro would welcome their first and only baby girl into this world.[1] Lynn Scutellaro would start her life in the quaint town of Mercerville, New Jersey, until her brother Richard was born in 1980, and the Scutellaros moved north to Lawrenceville, New Jersey. It is here that Lynn would grow into the adventurous, vibrant, and determined woman she was. Attending Lawrence High School, she participated in many sports such as soccer, field hockey, and softball. On top of this, her family loved to ski, putting Lynn in lessons at just three years old. Lynn grew up extremely athletic and with plenty of energy. After graduating from high school, Lynn knew she wanted to expand her horizons, so she headed west to the University of Colorado to study sociology. She quickly fell in love with all Colorado had to offer her adventurous spirit. She joined the crew team, became a rock climber, and even tried scuba diving. However, Lynn truly found her calling when she joined the ROTC program.
The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a program that helps prepare college students for a future as officers in the Armed Forces.[2] Lynn’s ROTC program trained alongside the Colorado National Guard, these experiences prepared her to become a leader and Second Lieutenant straight out of graduation. Once graduated as a Second Lieutenant, Lynn still yearned to learn more. She decided to head to Fort Rucker in Alabama to attend flight school. It is here that she found her niche as a helicopter pilot. She trained on a Bell UH-1 Iroquois, commonly known as a “Huey,” which were famous for their use in the Vietnam War. Lynn’s determination helped her soar through training and soon she was off to Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania. Here she trained on more intensive and complex helicopters. Once her training was complete, Lynn was considered an extremely talented pilot but decided to return to Colorado and work full-time at a Juvenile Center in Boulder. Although specifics are unknown, it’s likely that Lynn gained a deep appreciation for helping those who need it through this job. It may even be part of the reason why she would branch off and create a returning veterans retreat organization in 2004. Lynn would become the heart and soul of a foundation dedicated to helping reintegrate returning soldiers. She organized and led retreats all over Colorado, focusing on independence, routine, and life after returning from overseas. Lynn was deeply dedicated to serving the people in her community in any way possible.
Lynn had always wanted to do more with her military training and eventually decided to transition to a full-time helicopter pilot for the Colorado Army National Guard. Throughout 2005, Lynn would work her way up to the position of Captain and be deployed to Iraq at the end of 2005. The United States had invaded Iraq in early 2003 with hopes of disarming its weapons of mass destruction and ending the regime of Saddam Hussein.[3] Lynn would be a part of the 101st Airborne unit, and her comrades remember her as a bright spot during a time of turmoil. She would be deployed for approximately a year and return to Colorado in November 2006. Less than a year after returning from overseas, Lynn would be out walking in Breckenridge, CO, when tragically she would be hit by a trolley bus turning a corner and pass away at twenty-eight years old.
Lynn’s life was cut short due to a tragic accident, but her legacy lives on through all the people she impacted. Friends and family remember her infectious smile and unwavering determination to help those around her. She would receive an Air Medal for her heroism shown during service, as well as a Meritorious Service Medal for her outstanding non-combat service. Her generous spirit lives on in the Captain Lynn M. Scutellaro Memorial Book Scholarship,[4] which is given to graduates of Lawrence High School who plan to continue a career in the military.
Footnotes ↓
[1] Information for this biography can be found at:
Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation, “Lynn M. Scutellaro Obituary,” Horan & McConaty Funeral Service and Cremation, https://www.horancares.com/obituaries/lynn-scutellaro, accessed August 14, 2025.
“Lynn Scutellaro Obituary” Denver Post, Legacy.com, July 10, 2007, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/denverpost/name/lynn-scutellaro-obituary?id=24954986, Accessed August 14, 2025.
“Capt Lynn M. Scutellaro” FindaGrave.com https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20359543/lynn_m-scutellaro, accessed August 14, 2025.
Nicole Formosa “Trolley Victim’s Passion and Dedication Was for Her Work,” SummitDaily.com, July 11, 2007, https://www.summitdaily.com/news/trolley-victims-passion-and-dedication-was-for-her-work/. Accessed August 14, 2025.
[2] “COLLEGE TO COMMISSION,” Army National Guard, https://nationalguard.com/careers/become-an-officer/rotc. Accessed August 14, 2025.
[3]“The Iraq War,” George W. Bush Library, accessed August 20, 2025, https://www.georgewbushlibrary.gov/research/topic-guides/the-iraq-war. Accessed August 20, 2025.
[4] “Lawrence High School Senior Awards 2023” Lawrence High School,https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1718979428/ltpsorg/l9tvj5mrrjnla35sy5ra/availableawardsandapplication.pdf, Accessed August 14, 2025.
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