• George Kenneth “Kenny” Lynn, president of James Lynn & Son’s window washing company in Whiteville, dies when his elevated cleaning bucket falls from 40 feet Thursday afternoon outside BB&T’s headquarters building here.

By BOB HIGH
Staff writer

One of the state’s finest veteran window washers was killed here Thursday afternoon when his lift machine tilted and fell sideways 40 feet outside BB&T’s headquarters building fronting Webster Street.

George Kenneth “Kenny” Lynn, 51, died from injuries sustained when the elevated bucket he was standing in fell to the right side in front of the northeast outside wall of the building’s entrance at 2:10 p.m.

Lynn hit the ground in the elevated planting area just north of the half-circle drive leading to the building’s front door, a distance of about 45 feet from the base of the lift machine.

He was pronounced dead in Columbus Regional Healthcare’s emergency department at 2:54 p.m., according to a local police report.

“He just made a mistake,” his brother Greg Lynn said Friday. “He must have forgotten all the outriggers (to brace the lift machine) hadn’t been put in place.”

Test cleaning windows

Bengy Cox, property manager for the Keith Corporation – the firm that manages BB&T’s buildings in Whiteville and Lumberton – said Kenny Lynn raised the lift to the first level of glass panels in the portico portion of the structure.

“He was trying a polish to see what was needed. He was hunting windows with bad stains. He was going to give me a quote on what it would cost to clean the glass, because we hadn’t had them cleaned for several years,” Cox noted.

Cox said Lynn “for some reason” raised the lift to the top of the third floor, about 40 feet up. “I heard a car horn and turned to see what was happening, and when I turned back to look at what Kenny was doing, the lift was beginning to fall.”

Greg Lynn said Kenny had put one of the outrigger braces in place – enough bracing to do an inspection of weather-stained windows at lower levels.

“He cleaned one of the windows at a low level and looked up and saw another window that looked like it had a different stain on it. That window was probably 40 feet from the ground.
Safety mistake

“That’s when he made his mistake, a mistake he and my father used to preach about all the time. Don’t do anything until all your equipment is safely anchored and set,” younger brother Greg continued.

When the lift fell, the bottom of the machine struck a parked car and caused an estimated $500 in damages to the trunk and one of the taillights.

“It probably takes 20 to 25 seconds for the bucket to be moved from 20 feet to the 40-foot level. I understand he wanted to see if the cleaning solution he used on the lower window would be good enough to clean the window at the top,” Greg said

Loved hunting, fishing

Kenny Lynn was described by his brother as hard working, dedicated, very safety minded and honest. “He loved to hunt and fish, and to go four-wheeling.

“And, he loved to take his children, nephews and nieces four-wheeling. He really loved the outdoors,” Greg Lynn added.

Faye Simmons, the company’s office manager for 12 years, described her boss as “good to all of us. He was an easy-going person, and rewarded hard work.”

James Lynn, who died in 1997 from a heart attack, began the window washing business here in 1960. He learned the art of cleaning and polishing in 1947 here and in New Jersey. where he married.

He worked for the International Window Cleaning Company in New Jersey. Kenny (the eldest of four children) was born there. Greg was born the same year his father and mother – Doris Redlich Lynn-- returned to Whiteville.

Kenny and Greg had two sisters, Leslie Lynn Norris and Debbie Lynn Holt.

First skyscraper

James Lynn’s first substantial challenge in his business came in 1965 when he gained the contract to clean the windows of the very tall Wachovia office building in Winston-Salem.

James had three employees then, and was consistently working on buildings ranging from 10 to five stories in height.

The company did most of its work in the Carolinas, cleaning windows in almost every large city in the two states, plus they worked in Augusta, Ga., Richmond and Roanoke, Va., and in Baltimore.

By this time, there were 14 employees. Two former long-time workers still living in the Whiteville area are Bill Register and Fred Smith, according to Greg Lynn.

During the past five to six years the average size building the firm cleaned was five to eight stories. The buildings are usually cleaned twice a year.

Ironically, Kenny and his wife watched with pride as one of their daughters, Jennifer, became the wife of Aaron Bachinger on Saturday, Dec. 9 – five days before the accident.

Another ironic part of the story is the James Lynn and Son’s offices are dotted with safety awards.

Kenny Lynn lived with his wife and family along U.S. 701 North, about two miles south of the Bladen County line.

Funeral services were held Sunday in the Western Prong Baptist Church. Memorials may be made to the church’s building fund by mailing checks to 167 Peacock Road, Whiteville, N.C. 28472. (See Obituary on page 10-A of the printed edition.)