Obituary: Dorothy Lynn Squires

Dorothy Lynn Squires (Lynn), of Juneau, Alaska, passed away while on vacation in Paris, France, on May 12, 2026.

Born June 7, 1958, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Lynn grew up in the Deep South living in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, and eventually, South Carolina before moving with her family to Durango, Colorado, in 1973 at the age of 15.

Dorothy Lynn Squires

Before moving to Durango, Lynn excelled at modern, jazz, and ballet dance. After moving, there was no one skilled enough to further her development, so she joined the ski team and graduated from Durango High in 1976. Lynn went on to pursue a BA degree in communications and psychology at the University of Northern Colorado while supporting herself as a bartender. After graduating in 1980, she married Brad Wright, moved to Minnesota, and began pursuing a career as flight attendant. In 1984, she and Brad moved to Seattle where she started working for a small airline based in Seattle at the time: Alaska Airlines. They divorced in 1988, but she had fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest and decided to stay (she liked to say it was a blend of the Smokies and the Rockies). Still working for Alaska Airlines, she began attending graduate school at Antioch University and graduated in 1989 with a master’s degree in psychology, eventually obtaining her credentials as a licensed professional counselor.

It was through Alaska Airlines that she met her second husband, Terry White, in Juneau. She moved here in 1990 and began to raise a family and build her career in psychology.

She gave birth to two sons, Austin James in 1992 and Andrew Thomas in 1994. She was a fiercely dedicated mama bear who was unselfishly generous and supportive of her sons. Family and her close friends came first and were above all else to Lynn, and she instilled those values to all those around her through her loyalty, compassion, and dedication to public service. Her work as a counselor and program manager had profound impacts on the community. Most notable were her times as a clinician at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center with Tongass from 1990-2001 and later as a state employee from 2021-2026, and her time as a guardian ad litem and program coordinator for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) from 2006-2015.

Her passion for advocacy, loyalty, and dedication to clients was a model for her colleagues and connected her to many community members. Lynn and Terry divorced in 2021. She had been looking forward to retiring in August and moving to Portland to be closer to Austin.

Lynn could immediately bring joy and laughter into any room she entered and made friends easily. It was easy to feel acknowledged in her presence, and she would always inquire about family or have kind things to say whenever she ran into folks around town. The hole left by her absence will be impossible to fill.

Lynn was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Gregory Squires, Sr. (2021), mother, Madalynn Merritt Squires (2022), and son, Andrew (2020). She is survived by her brothers, Thomas Gregory Squires, Jr. (T. Greg) and Joseph Merrit Squires (Joe), and her eldest son, Austin White, as well as countless, loyal amazing friends she has made in her professional and personal life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to CASA: https://www.alaskacasa.org/donate.