Donald A. Lynch

Donald A. Lynch was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

      Donald was born on November 6, 1934 at Ilion New York Hospital in Ilion, New york. His parents were James and Bertha Lynch. Donald was raised in Mohawk, New York. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Lynch household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Donald was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Donald was raised with eight siblings. Brothers; Ed, Jim, Francis, Robert, Gerald, Douglas and sisters, Mary and Catherine. Donald was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Donald and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Donald was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, Donald was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Donald developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Donald took part in football, basketball, baseball, and track. However, what Donald enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

      While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Donald as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Mohawk Central in 1952. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Donald was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Donald always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

      College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Donald handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Donald was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Donald was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Donald well during his college experience. He earned his BA degree in Business from Syracuse University. He also pursued graduate school, earning his Masters of Business from Syracuse University. He earned his degrees by studying hard after serving 4 years in the Navy, getting married, and having children while earning his Masters degree.

      On May 24, 1958 Donald exchanged wedding vows with Helen Marie Hassett at the Blessed Sacrament Church of Mohawk, New York. Compassionate and devoted to Helen, Donald held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Helen and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

      Donald brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Donald was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Donald was blessed with four daughters Michele, Joanne, Maureen, and Donna. They were also blessed with five grandchildren, Steven, Matthew, Amanda, Maddie, and Morgan.

      Donald greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Donald enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Donald was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was in the field of accounting as an accountant. He was also a small business owner. Donald worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Donald was an Navy Veteran. He was stationed in San Diego, Seattle, and the South Pacific. Donald saw action for four years during the Korean War. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of AG. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Donald seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

      Donald liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Donald always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were reading and participating in his grandchildren's activities. Donald was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      Donald found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Donald played football, basketball, baseball, and track. In his college years, Donald continued to stay active through the years by playing basketball pick up games. He took up golf in his later years. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were college football and college basketball.

      Throughout his later years, Donald was active in little league basketball.

      Donald was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Patricks Church and Blessed Sacrament Church. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

      Donald enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Donald appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Donald always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included trips along the ocean or Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

      Donald was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Donald’s favorites was Murphy, a King Charles Cavalier dog. They were best friends for 11 years.

      When Donald’s retirement finally arrived in 2005, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, he found new pleasure in golf. Even in retirement, Donald continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      Donald A. Lynch passed away on March 9, 2016 at at his home in Trophy Club, Texas. He had congestive heart failure. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Helen Lynch; daughters, Michele, Joanne, Maureen, and Donna Lynch; grandchildren, Steven, Matthew, Amanda, Maddie, Morgan; and his brothers, Gerald and Douglas Lynch.

Services were held at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Memorial Chapel in Colleyville, Texas. Donald was laid to rest in Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park in Colleyville, Texas.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Donald A. Lynch. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

* * * * * * * * * *

TROPHY CLUB -- Donald Anthony Lynch, 81, passed away Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Special Olympics at donate.specialolympics.org. Donald was the youngest of nine children born to James and Bertha Lynch. He grew up in Mohawk, N.Y., where he joined the Navy and served for four years during the Korean War. After he returned home from his military service, Donald went to a St. Patrick's Day Dance and met Helen Hassett. They married in 1958. Donald went back to college and received a master's degree in business accounting from Syracuse University. In 1973 he moved his family to Texas. He lived in east Fort Worth until 1995 when he moved to Trophy Club. He retired in 2006. He was active in sports throughout his life and took up golf in his later years. He was a wonderful family man and respected community leader and businessman. He was loved and will be missed. Donald was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings, Mary Traverni, Ed Lynch, Fran Lynch, Bob Lynch, Catherine Miles and Jim Lynch; and his granddaughter, Ashley Woodall. Survivors: His wife of 58 years, Helen Lynch; daughters, Michele Lynch and her partner, Vickie, Joanne Lynch, Maureen Dodgen and her husband, Marcus, and Donna Lynch; grandchildren, Steven Woodall, Matthew Lynch and his girlfriend, Jennifer, Amanda Lynch, Maddie Dodgen, Morgan Dodgen; and his brothers, Gerald and Douglas Lynch.