Lynda Land CLay

Lynda Land Clay of Charlotte and Cedar Island, N.C. died peacefully at home in Charlotte on May 28, 2026 with her loving husband Thomas Sater (Tommy) Clay at her side.

Lynda was preceded in death by her mother Ruth England Land (Hanson), father William Kenneth (Bill) Land, Sr., and older brother William Kenneth (Ken) Land, Jr. Lynda is survived by her husband Tommy Clay.

Lynda was born August 1, 1952 in Raleigh, N.C. where she spent her youth. She attended North Carolina Wesleyan College and earned a B.A. in 1974 in English. She participated in theatre productions during her time at college. Lynda met Tommy Clay, her husband and life partner, at North Carolina Wesleyan. They married in 1974 and have been partners in life ever since.

Her life’s journey of adventures, interests, and work started immediately after she and Tommy were married. They moved to Saudi Arabia for several years. Lynda returned to Charlotte, NC, while Tommy’s work took him across the globe. Lynda set up home in Charlotte, while working as a parts specialist for industrial pumps, a marketing and advertising firm assistant, and a furniture buyer. In the mid 1980s, Lynda founded the Therapeutic Massage Training Institute in Dilworth, which she ran for more than 30 years. She was active in the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and served as the NC State President for 3 terms and was on the National Board of the AMTA. Lynda was instrumental in the fight for the legitimacy of massage therapy with National Certification, State Licensing, and licensing of training programs.

Lynda had a deep connection with the natural world. She began studying North Carolina wildflowers in college, which became a lifelong pursuit. She rambled through Mecklenburg County and especially Carteret County identifying and cataloging flowers. She searched for new species in Carteret and worked to try to limit roadside spraying and cutting in areas with endangered species. She wrote a book on the seasonal flowers of Carteret County. She gardened extensively in her yards in Charlotte and Cedar Island. She was also an avid birder. Lynda even established a relationship with an Eastern Phoebe, named Bird Bird, who lived in her Charlotte yard for over 7 years. It visited daily for mealworms taken from her hand, slept on a perch on the porch, and brought its young to meet her. She also collected shells and built a large collection of Atlantic and Indo-Pacific seashells.

Creative artistic hobbies were another of Lynda’s passions, particularly her love of miniatures. She created and sold miniature plants and accessories, while her sculpey mice figurines were known and loved by many. Using natural materials such as acorns, shells, and pine cones, she crafted whimsical figures full of charm and imagination. She also made pressed flower pictures, handmade paper, quilled ornaments, and dreamcatchers. In her yard, Lynda built fairy houses from moss, leaves, bark, and whatever treasures nature provided. Her creative and artistic energy was truly remarkable.

Lynda was also an incredible cook and hosted wonderful dinner parties for friends and family. Everyone loved her eastern North Carolina specialty dishes and japchae. She will be greatly missed by Tommy, her former students, friends and their families.

A memorial service will take place 2pm Friday, June5, 2026, at the Chapel of Hankins and Whittington Funeral Service, 1111 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203.

Click here to watch the service.