Latest News Services to Be Held for Lynn Millay, 74, Former Long-Time Luxottica/LensCrafters Exec By Staff Monday, May 18, 2015 12:19 AM Lynn Swank Millay. BLUFFTON, Ohio—Services will be held here on Wednesday May 20 for Lynn (Lynnita) Swank Millay, 74, a long-time LensCrafters/Luxottica Retail executive, who passed away on May 14 at the Bridge Hospice Care Center.Millay retired several years ago from Luxottica Retail as director of lens buying. After beginning her career in the eyewear/eyecare business at American Optical, Millay joined LensCrafters soon after E. Dean Butler founded the business; she was the company’s third employee when the first store opened in 1983. Her job at the time included running the stockroom and setting up the ordering processes. Butler told VMail, “Her husband was one of the first lab managers in our first store. And, we got busy so quickly in that first store that people didn’t have time to pull lenses off the shelves. Marv said, ‘My wife knows how to read the lens envelopes’ and she came in to help, she had a tremendous attitude. She was not an optician, not an optometrist, but she became the perfect example of someone who was given an opportunity and then just more than rose to the occasion. She worked her way up to be the head lens buyer. She was an exceptional person.” Following parent Luxottica Group’s acquisition of Cole Vision in October 2004, Millay began to oversee lens purchasing not only for Luxottica Retail’s 800-plus LensCrafters stores, but also for the company’s newly acquired Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical and BJ’s Optical locations.Millay was among the first group of Vision Monday’s “Most Influential Women in Optical,” when the publication launched that report in 2003. She was recognized a second time, in 2007, for being “at the forefront of bringing new lenses and lens processing concepts” into the market and “for driving new product innovation.” She was widely respected for her vision and partnership during her career. Millay was born in 1941 in Bluffton to Bertrand and Juanita (Lora) Swank. She married Marvin Millay 1981 and he is among her survivors, including two daughters, Leigh Ann Alspach and Barbara Alspach both of Bluffton, a stepson, Troy Millay of Kentucky, a brother, James (Pam) Swank of Melbourne, Fla., two sisters, Shirley (Larry) Copeland of Findlay and Sue (Harry) Osborn of Bluffton. She was preceded in death by a stepson, David Millay. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on May 20 at St. John's United Church of Christ, Bluffton, the Rev. Carol Clements officiating. More details are posted at the Chiles-Laman Funeral Home site. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service and following the service at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to Ohio State Foundation for Lung Cancer Research, 2050 Kenny Rd., Columbus , OH USA 43221 Ph: (614) 293-4925.