Lynne Safholm Desautels

Lynne Safholm Desautels, age 76, of Lincoln, California, passed away peacefully on September 22nd, 2026, surrounded by her family at Sutter Medical Center – Roseville.

She was born on December 16th, 1949, in San Francisco, California, to Don and Dorothy Safholm.

She attended CSU, Chico where she earned her bachelor’s degree and both an elementary and secondary teaching credential. She then worked as a teacher at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels for almost thirty years, the final twenty-one years at Merrill West High School in Tracy, California.

She was previously married to Dean Abercrombie in 1974 and had two boys, Ben and Mike, but ultimately divorced in 1990. In March 1996, she met Normand Desautels on a random blind date that had been coordinated by a student teacher she was mentoring and the student teacher’s boyfriend who happened to be a student paramedic that being mentored by Norm, who was a paramedic preceptor. Love blossomed and they were married on August 1st, 1997, and together they shared thirty wonderful years.

She loved to teach and work with her students. She was well known for her excellent cooking and loved to host small gatherings with family and friends. She rarely missed any Food Network shows especially Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, or Masterchef. She was a fan of Law and Order and could be found watching episodes late into the night. As a San Francisco native she was a Forty-Niner fanatic. She was also a Christmas “idiot” (her term). She and Norm also loved to travel and cruise.

She is survived by her husband, Normand Desautels, her children, Ben Abercrombie (Spouse-Laura), Michael Abercrombie, Richard Hamett (Spouse-Emily), Henri Desautels, and her five grandchildren – Colin, Emma, Normand, Elizabeth, and Russell. She was preceded in death by her father Donald Safholm and her mother Dorothy Safholm.

A celebration of life service will be held at Sun City Lincoln Hills – Kilaga Springs Lodge, 1167 Sun City Boulevard, Lincoln, California, on December 6th, 2026, between 1:00 PM and 4 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).