Dr. Lance Lynwood Webb
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Lance's obituary
Dr. Lance Lynwood Webb of Hermosa Beach and Nevada City, California, passed away at the age of 82 on October 20, 2023. At sunrise on that day, he transitioned peacefully in the company of his daughter, Sierra Lesiow-Webb. Born on April 21, 1941, in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, Lance was the firstborn of Lynwood Webb and Maurine Howell-Webb. Lance had two sisters, Carol Rowland and Brenda Knox. Growing up, his father Lynwood Webb owned and operated Webb’s General Store, and Lance helped run the family business. He was the first in his family to attend college.
As Lance grew up, he excelled in academia, graduating as high school Valedictorian in 1959 and strove for several levels of achievement in higher education. He graduated from MIT in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science in Statistics from Michigan State University in 1964. Years later in 1971, he completed a Master of Business Administration in Advertising, Accounting, and Retailing, again at Michigan State. He continued, and in 1980 he completed a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech. He completed the keystone of his education at Michigan State where he worked to earn his Doctorate of Philography in Electrical Engineering.
Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, Lance would spend his winters volunteering with the ski patrol in Tahoe and Mammoth. He loved downhill and cross country. He also enjoyed flying planes; he had private, commercial, and instructor pilot’s licenses and owned a Cessna named Bellanca. He enjoyed scuba diving and free diving for abalone. He was an avid enthusiast for adventure and all things nature.
By 1986 Lance began working for Rockwell, which later merged with Boeing, and there he began his career launching GPS Satellites. His love for math, antennas, electronics, and frequencies coalesced with GPS. Lance loved his job and was proud and passionate for his work.
In 1987, Lance met his wife Jenny while cross country skiing in Mount Pinos, CA. Over the next year they enjoyed adventures together including ice climbing on Mount Hood, and traveling to Egypt. By 1988 they got married on a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean, floating offshore near San Pedro. In early November 1989, Sierra was born. He always called her his favorite, even though she was the only child he had.
Beyond his technical genius, Lance was most known for his witty charismatic nature, and his quirky sense of humor. His favorite icon was Indiana Jones, and he loved musicals and dancing. In 1996 he was invited by his cousin Debbie Lee Hadsall to Jefferson Parish, in the greater New Orleans area, to celebrate Mardi Gras. He joined the Krewe of Isis XXIV, the oldest woman led parade crew. This was the start of what became a regular family reunion, and one of his greatest life highlights. By 1999 Lance retired from Boeing, and that winter he and Debbie Lee Hadsall became King and Queen Isis XXVII. This meant lots of parties, parades, and dinners. Part of the parade included riding his float with dukes and pages, throwing beads, medallions, and moon pies. He again reigned in 2004 as King Isis XXXII to support Debbie Lee’s mum, Carol Hadsall, Queen Isis XXXII.
Once he retired, he went with his wife and daughter on an epic Christmas journey to Micronesia. There they traveled for a month, visiting old friends, snorkeling, and scuba diving regularly. This was a highlight adventure for the family and inspired spending more time on the ocean. In the early 2000’s, Lance and Jenny bought a 34-foot sailboat, and in 2002 they became members of the Corsair Yacht Club. The Corsairs regularly gather at Emerald Bay on Santa Catalina Island for themed parties and activities. Lance fit right in and enjoyed many wonderful sunsets, hikes, and friendships. To this day, his wife Jenny remains a prominent member of the yacht club.
Lance returned to work for Aerospace in 2005. On May 3, 2016, Lance was awarded the Spot Award for significant contributions to the successful development of the GPS satellites. By the summer of 2017, as Lance was working for Aerospace, his memory started to decline. In the fall of 2018, it was clear that dementia was greatly affecting Lance’s everyday life, and he came to live with his daughter, Sierra in Nevada City, where she became his primary caregiver.
Lance and his daughter spent three and a half years together, enjoying the Yuba River, taking hikes in nature, growing vegetables, corn, pumpkins, and flowers. Once he discovered Deer Creek at the end of the road, Lance became known as a neighborhood legend for his creative escapes from the property. These adventures, albeit stressful at the time, made for great stories and some hilarious laughs. Lance and Sierra became a recognizable pair, especially since Lance always enjoyed a good party and loved to dance. Sierra’s dog, Soup became Lance’s steadfast companion, as she would take him on walks every day and guide him home. Whenever the neighbors would ask if he knew how to get back, he would say, “no, but the doggy Soup does, and she takes me back home.” He would even be spotted on his hikes with his Mardi Gras scepter and rhinestone medallion necklace.
Lance was always invited to attend parties and gatherings with Sierra, and they would often be invited to a week’s worth of Beltane celebrations. He got very good a dancing the ribbon dance and of course, was always down for a good boogie whenever there was music. From hilarious dance moves like air pianos and the one-legged twist dance, Lance always had a way of making people laugh and smile.
Esteemed academic, scientist, father, and legend; Lance will be missed dearly. Sierra is grateful to have spent quality time together as adults, and to have hilarious stories of their adventures together in Nevada County. He lived a happy and adventurous life. A special thank you to Lance’s caregivers, especially Philp and Alyssa in his final year, and for the love and joy they had for his humor. Also a note of gratitude to Lance’s sister, Brenda for her thoughtful, consistent letters, that made Lance feel cared for and remembered in his later years.
Lance is survived by his beloved daughter, Sierra, his wife, Jenny, and his sister, Brenda.
May we remember and celebrate his story and life of patience, humor, and grace.
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