Date of Birth:
Saturday, May 29, 1948
Date of Death:
Monday, November 10, 2025
Age:
77 years old

Lynn Weidman

Lynn Weidman died on November 10, 2025, in Rochester, Minnesota.  Lynn was the son of James Matthew and Mary Lou Weidman.  Born in Orange, California, on May 29, 1948, he was predeceased by his parents and his older brother, James Matthew Weidman, Jr.

Lynn graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics.  He then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from which he was awarded a Master of Science in statistics in 1974 and a Ph.D. in mathematical statistics in 1975.

After several years of teaching, first at Boston University and then at the University of Kentucky, Lynn came to Washington D.C. to work at the U.S. Census Bureau in the U.S. Department of Commerce where, while serving as Chief of the Continuous Measurement Design Branch in the Demographic Statistical Methods Division and later as a Principal Researcher in the Statistical Research Division, he and his friend Chip Alexander were instrumental in developing the statistical design for the American Community Survey (ACS).  The ACS design made it possible for Census to publish important population data each year not only for each state, but also for small areas of states. These data have become a valuable tool for federal agencies, state and local governments, small and large businesses, news media, researchers, and others.  As a top-level Census Bureau statistician, Lynn was a team player and became a mentor to others working on the ACS.  His colleagues appreciated his kindness, his intelligence, his talent at solving complex problems, and his quiet thoughtful ways.

Lynn left Census in 2000 to work at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in the U.S. Department of Transportation, where he met his future wife, Pheny Zhou Smith.  However, in 2002 he returned to the Census Bureau, where he worked until his retirement in 2012.

Lynn and Pheny were married in Old Town, Alexandria in 2004.  For the first few years they lived in Greenbelt, Maryland, and then in 2010 they moved to Alexandria area of Fairfax, Virginia.

Lynn enjoyed a full life outside of his work. A lover of music and a lifelong flute player, Lynn was a member of the NOVA Alexandria Band, Mount Vernon Concert Band, and Mount Vernon Flutes.  His love of intellectual challenges and social activities led to his decades long fascination and immersion in Challenge Square Dance, a modern western square dance format in which dancers interpret a caller’s directions (calls) to determine whom to act with, where to go, and how to get there.  He eventually achieved the C4 level of Challenge, the highest and most difficult level in Square Dance. Lynn was an avid duplicate bridge player and was awarded a Life Master by the American Contract Bridge League in 2003.   Lynn also loved competitive sports.  He played volleyball well into his fifties and participated in many national senior volleyball competitions.  In retirement he participated in Northern Virginia Senior Softball.

Lynn devoted much of his retirement to nurturing his interest in quantum mechanics, art, architecture, modern music, and travel.  Lynn is survived by his wife, Pheny, and his nephew Matthew Weidman. Lynn’s family and friends will miss his kindness, his gentleness, his intelligence, and his sense of humor.  There will be a celebration of Lynns life in the spring of 2026.

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