Edward Conover Lynch

During his boyhood Ed attended Sunday school at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Missouri and when living in Fayette at the Christian Church. Ed was baptized and confirmed on March 31, 1946 by Bishop Robert Nelson Spencer at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City. Ed’s primary grade schooling was in Fayette, Jefferson City and Kansas City, Missouri. He completed high school in Kansas City. Awarded a full tuition scholarship, Ed undertook premedical studies for three years at Washington University followed by entry into Washington University’s medical school with the subsequent award of the M.D. degree with honors by the school when he was 23 years old. He was a superb student throughout his educational experiences, recognized by election to Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi and Alpha Omega Alpha Medical honor societies.

In the latter part of the third year of college, Ed began dating a lovely classmate from his German class, Nell Ruth Robinson. Three years later they were married on June 18, 1955 at the First Presbyterian Church of East St. Louis, Illinois. Nell continued to teach school for second graders through their first three years of the marriage. In 1957, their first son Edward Douglas Lynch was born. Meanwhile Ed completed medical school and served as an intern and resident in internal medicine for two years at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis and then as a resident and finally chief resident during the two year period 1958 – 1960 at the University of Rochester. While in Rochester, Ed and Nell’s second son David Robinson Lynch was born. With two sons, Nell and Ed moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where Ed was Captain, United States Army Medical Corps from 1960 to 1962. During that time their daughter Deborah Ruth Lynch was born.

In 1962 Ed, Nell, Doug, David and Debbie moved to Houston, Texas. Shortly after moving to Houston, Ed and Nell became members of the Memorial Drive Methodist Church where their children attended Sunday school and participated on sports teams. In 1967, Ed and Nell’s third son Stephen Russell Lynch was born. In 1997, Ed and Nell transferred their membership to Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston where they have participated in numerous activities of the Church. Ed has served on the Board of Stewards of the church and on the missions committee, participated as a physician and educator on mission trips to Kenya, Uganda and the Philippines, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chapelwood Foundation and as chair of the Foundation’s Global Advisory Committee for six years.

Ed joined the full-time faculty of Baylor College of Medicine in July 1962 serving the medical college for 44 years until July 2006, primarily as a medical educator and an administrator of educational programs for medical students and training programs for medical residents. His clinical, educational and research activities were in the specialties of internal medicine and hematology. Patient care activities and educational pursuits

occurred principally at The Methodist Hospital and the Ben Taub General Hospital. Research was conducted on clinical problems along with laboratory studies in the field of hematology. In some laboratory research, he collaborated with faculty members and Ph. D. students in the biomedical engineering program of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Rice University. .Ed was a member of the Adjunct faculty of Rice University for 34 years with recognition as Adjunct Professor. During his career, he was an author of more than 100 publications in scientific and clinical journals and books. Ed attained the rank of Distinguished Service Professor at Baylor in 1995. Following separation from Baylor in 2006, Ed spent three delightful years as an educator in the position of Professor and Associate Chairman of the Department of Medicine of Weill Medical College of Cornell University at The Methodist Hospital. He formally retired in July 2009, but actually continued thereafter with limited contributions to the teaching program in internal medicine at the hospital.

The recipient of numerous awards of excellence as a teacher, Ed was particularly proud of his selection in 2005 by the American College of Physicians for the College’s annual Distinguished Teacher Award which recognizes the outstanding educator in internal medicine in America. Throughout his professional life, commitment to excellent education for medical students and residents in internal medicine was his primary career objective.

For more than forty years, Ed was very active in the Americal College of Physicians, serving on the Board of Governors for four years as well as on numerous committees, and participating in educational programs. In 2000, he was recognized as Master of the College, at that time, only the third physician in Houston ever to receive this honor in the long history of the American College of Physicians. He served as President of the Houston Society of Internal Medicine and was active as a committee member in the American Society of Hematology, the Harris County Medical Society, the Texas Academy of Internal Medicine, and the Texas Medical Society. He served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Kelsey Research Foundation.

The center of love and attention of Ed and Nell Lynch has always been their family – their four children and three grandchildren. Dr. Edward Douglas Lynch, a retired Technical Fellow at the Rocketdyne aerospace company, is married to Dr. Karna Wahlstrand and lives in South Pasadena, California. Dr. David Robinson Lynch, Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania is married to Dr. Laura Balcer and lives in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. David and Laura’s daughter is Abigail Erin Lynch. Ms. Deborah Lynch Shelton a Registered Municipal Advisor is married to Mr. Roger Shelton and lives in Houston, Texas. Dr. Stephen Russell Lynch, Director of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Laboratory in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University is married to Ms. Vivian Kwon and they live in Santa Clara, California. Stephen and Vivian’s daughters are Sophie Hyun Lynch and Natalie Jeong Lynch.

Sports and travel were major components of Ed’s family with Nell and his four children. They attended numerous sporting events and Ed strongly supported the children’s participation in team sports such as baseball, softball, football, basketball and ice hockey. There were many vacation trips with the children traveling throughout America. After acquiring a vacation home in Galveston, family activities were often fishing, boating, going to the beach and golf. After the children were raised, Ed and Nell dedicated time to foreign travel with two to three long trips per year. During a 20-year period they visited more than 80 countries. Ed always enjoyed participation in sports, as an adult, particularly softball, basketball and golf. During the seventh decade of his life, he took up running, participating in more than 50 middle distance events and twice completing the Houston Marathon.

The love of his life and his wife and companion of more than 59 years Nell passed away on January 30, 2015. Life was never really the same for him after that. Beginning in September 2022, Ed lived at Belmont Village Hunters Creek. He was cared for by many special caregivers. He was also cared for by 2 private caregivers Rachel and Alonzo for the last four years. The family appreciates the care and attention that both Rachel and Alonzo provided during a challenging four years.

Ed was preceded in death by his wife Nell Ruth Robinson Lynch, his parents Edward Clel Lynch and Mary Elizabeth Sessen Lynch and his brother Thomas Lee Lynch. Ed is survived by his three sons, one daughter and three granddaughters.

A Visitation will be held from 4 pm to 7 pm on Thursday, October 15 at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas. A memorial service to commemorate the life of Ed Lynch will be held in the Chapel at Chapelwood United Methodist Church 11140 Greenbay, Houston, Texas on Friday, October 16 at 2:00 pm with a reception to follow the service. In lieu of flowers and other gifts, please consider a donation in Ed’s name to the Chapelwood United Methodist Church Foundation, 11140 Greenbay, Houston, Texas 77024.