Lynell Marchese Zogbo was affectionately called Lyn by those closest to her, and Mom/Maman by all her African daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, and Docteure Zogbo by all her students and colleagues. She finally finished her earthly journey and crossed heaven’s threshold into the arms of her Eternal Father during the early hours of Saturday, March 7, 2026, shortly after celebrating her 78th birthday in February with her children and grandchildren.

Lynell passed away after a valiant battle with cancer spanning thirty years.

She fought this brutal enemy year after year in order to have one more moment, day, year with each and every one of you, whom she all cherished so deeply. She gave her last breath in a hospice house in California, as had her father before her.

Lynell was born in San Diego on February 15, 1948, to a family of two loving parents, Mario Marchese and Wanda Katherine Fortner, and a younger sister, Diana Anderson. She completed a PhD in Linguistics in 1979 at UCLA with a dissertation on Kru languages, spoken primarily in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire and southern Liberia.

She worked as a Bible translation consultant for 28 years (1985–2013) for the United Bible Societies (UBS), based out of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and neighboring countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, and Togo). She also served for many years as a lecturer at FATEAC (Faculté de Théologie Evangélique Alliance Chrétienne) and as Adjunct Lecturer and Research Associate at the University of the Free State of South Africa. In addition, she was a graduate supervisor at the South African Theological Seminary. Her literary contributions include Le Sycomore (journal for Francophone translators), Lisons nos Langues (ABCI), and various UBS handbooks.

Maman Lynell leaves behind her beloved husband of more than 45 years, Georges Gaston Nahounou Zogbo ([email protected]) and her dear

children, Kaligbeu Georges Mario Zogbo and Wané Jeanne Katrine Bogui, as well as her most cherished earthly possessions – her five grandchildren. Granddaughters Nevaeh (13) and Makena (10), and grandsons Ossoabha (7), Will (6), and Georgie (5), who would affectionately call her “Grandma Africa.” She was indeed a mother and grandmother to many. We will all miss her terribly, but we are comforted that she is relieved of her suffering and can finally rest after fighting to stay with us for as long as she did.

She leaves behind a legacy of love, light, tenderness, and peace, as well as an immeasurable professional contribution to the world of Bible translation in African languages, her greatest passion.

Please join us in celebrating a life well lived on Saturday, March 21, at 10 a.m. PST at Quail Lakes Baptist Church, 1904 Quail Lakes Dr, Stockton, California 95207. If you would like to attend the funeral online, please contact her daughter Wané at [email protected] for the Zoom link. We also hope to post the service on a private YouTube channel after Saturday.