Mary Lyngso was born April 16, 1930, in the small town of Carrollton, Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains. She was the middle of three daughters. When she was a young girl her family moved to the Hearst Ranch, King City, Ca, where her father was a cowboy on the ranch. From there they moved to Palo Alto, Mary graduated from Palo Alto High School. Mary met John in 1949 and they were married in the Danish Lutheran Church in San Francisco on August 28, 1950. They have three daughters, Terry, Linda and Pam and 1 grandson and 4 granddaughters and 4 great granddaughters and 2 great grandsons.

John and Mary built Lyngso Garden Materials together, John ran the equipment and Mary ran the office in the early days. Mary and John were early members of CLCA. Mary was the bookkeeper at Lyngso Garden Materials, Inc. for many years, semi-retiring in the early 1980's to travel throughout the United States and Canada with John in their motorhome. They also traveled through the canals in France and England. Over the years they have had several boats and loved to boat in the delta. Mary and John had many adventures together. Both Mary and John were always interested in Lyngso Garden Materials and stayed on the Lyngso Board after retirement.

They always lived in Belmont in homes that John's father Alfred built. They moved to The Trousdale in Burlingame in January 2019 and quickly developed a close community of friends.

Mary belonged to Alpha Chi Sigma and was involved in many worthy fund raisers through the sorority. Mary taught all her daughters how to sew. She also painted and made beautiful llepoints. She loved plants and was always growing something interesting in her garden, lents became a favorite of hers. Mary and John gave big parties at their home in Belmont and Mary loved to cook and bake and entertain. She always had a project going.

Be a gentle person; these words reflect the way Mary lived her life. Listen with ears of tolerance, see through the eyes of compassion, and speak with the language of love.

John Holgar Lyngso passed away peacefully on December 25, 2025, at the age of 97.

John lived a long, full, and spirited life. As a young boy growing up in San Francisco near Mission Peak—back when the area was mostly cow pastures—his future was already taking shape. Alongside his childhood friend Harry, John would pull a wagon up to the fields, load it with meadow muffins, and haul it back to the neighborhood to sell to the home gardeners. Years later, John loved to end that story by saying, “I’ve been selling cow poop my whole life.”

John was adventurous from a young age and never especially fond of school. At just 15 years old, he told his parents he was done with school. John's mother and father said he could leave school if he joined the military. John joined the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. His time in the Merchant Marines gave him discipline, a strong work ethic, and a fast transition from teenage boy to adulthood—qualities that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

John was a natural storyteller. He captivated people with his laughter and his loud voice, the expressions on his face, his smile, and the way he pulled others into his world. He wasn’t always easygoing, but he had a deep love for family, friends, and the belief that things could always be better.

John married Mary on August 28, 1950. Shortly after, they began raising their family—welcoming Theresa in November 1951, Linda in 1952, and Pamela in 1960. Together, John and Mary also began building a business. Starting with soil John excavated from the hills of San Mateo County, he stockpiled material on a piece of land in San Carlos near the airport, alongside Highway 101, selling to local landscapers.

As demand grew, Lyngso Garden Materials began to take shape. Landscapers started asking for colored rock, boulders, and soil amendments—including cow manure—bringing John’s early entrepreneurial instincts full circle. What began with an eight-year-old selling meadow muffins evolved into a business that became a cornerstone of the local landscape industry.

In building Lyngso Garden Materials, John and Mary formed lasting relationships with landscape contractors and gardeners who became not just customers, but close friends. Together, they were founding members of the Bay Area chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA). John believed in doing things right, took pride in quality, and was known for having strong opinions about the yard and the work—especially when he was around.

John and Mary semi-retired in their early 50s and spent much of that time traveling, enjoying boating, RV life, and the freedom of the road. They left their daughter Terry in charge of the day-to-day operation of the business. When he was home he loved getting involved in a project. He was proud of the business and was always interested in what was going on.

John and Mary were a true team who believed in working hard and playing harder. Their social life was large and lively, and as their travels expanded, so did their friendships—stretching across the United States. With John’s Danish heritage, many family members from Denmark came to visit over the years. His parents, immigrants from Denmark, kept those connections strong and instilled in the family the value of deep and lasting family ties.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lyngso. He is survived by his daughters Theresa, Linda, and Pamela, along with five grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

John lived life fully and with a lot of love and laughter. He left a lasting legacy—through his family, his stories, the family business, and the many lives he touched.

And if you were lucky enough to spend time with him, chances are you left with a smile and a story you’d never forget.