2017 -- H 5942

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO THE LYNCH FAMILY ON THE PASSING OF JOHN D.

LYNCH, ESQUIRE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Craven, Ucci, Shekarchi, Shanley, and McNamara

     Date Introduced: March 16, 2017

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, John D. Lynch, Esquire, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on

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March 14, 2017, after a long and difficult battle with Alzheimer's Disease; and

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     WHEREAS, John is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia M. (Washburn) Lynch and

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his ten children: Susan Lynch McKnight and her husband Jamie, of Narragansett; the Honorable

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Karen Lynch Bernard, Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Family Court, of Warwick; Bethany

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A. Furtado, Chairwoman of the Warwick School Committee, and her husband Gil, of Warwick;

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Kristen E. Lynch of Warwick; Deborah L. D'Orsi and her husband Scott, of Sudbury,

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Massachusetts; Tricia A. McCool and her husband Steve, of West Roxbury, Massachusetts; John

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D. Lynch, Jr., Esquire and his wife Demonica, of Warwick; Jennifer L. Buckley, Esquire and her

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husband Jerry of Warwick; the Honorable Erin Lynch Prata, State Senator District 31, and her

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husband Joe, of Warwick; and Joseph R. Lynch and his wife Danielle, of Belmont, California. He

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also leaves his 27 beloved grandchildren: Jimmy and Paige McKnight; Robert, Owen and

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Georgia Bernard; Matthew, Nicolas and Zachary Furtado; Raymond Pendergast; Hope, Will,

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Tess, Drew and Luke D'Orsi; Jack, Corinne, Devlin, Jimmy and Catherine McCool; Julia Lynch;

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Carly, Ryan, Ben and Danny Buckley; and Caleb, Charlie and Nolan Lynch; and

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     WHEREAS, John was the son of the late James F. Lynch, a former Warwick Police

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Chief, and Rita M. (Craig) Lynch. He also leaves behind his sisters Dorothy Horan and Rita M.

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Lynch Barbone; his brother James C. Lynch and his wife Joyce; his sisters-in-law Nancy

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Bessette, formerly of Cranston, and Judy Mullarkey and her husband Ed of Rocky Hill,

 

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Connecticut. He was the brother of the late Richard Lynch. John leaves behind many nieces,

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nephews and good friend; and.

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     WHEREAS, John was a lifelong Warwick resident and was very proud of his Apponaug

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roots. He was a graduate of LaSalle Academy, class of 1957, where he was captain of the football

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team, Boston College Class of 1961, and Suffolk University School of Law Class of 1964; and

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     WHEREAS, John practiced law for over 50 years at his law office on Tollgate Road in

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Warwick, proudly practicing over the last few decades with his children Karen, John Jr., Jennifer

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and Erin. He was a member of the Rhode Island and Federal Bar Associations; Kent County Bar

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Association; Rhode Island Family Law Inns of Court; Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association;

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and the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. He was recognized as the Boston

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College Man of the Year by the Boston College Club of Rhode Island and was appointed by

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Governor Noel as a member on the original Judicial Tenure and Discipline Committee. He was a

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past associate member of the Warwick FOP, Knights of Columbus, Warwick Elks, Potowomut

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Golf Club and the Rhode Island State Police Auxiliary. He was very proud to have been

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appointed as an Honorary Lt. Colonel of the Rhode Island State Police by Colonel Walter E.

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Stone; and

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     WHEREAS, John was recognized by his peers and clients as an outstanding criminal,

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civil, and divorce attorney. He was known for his keen intellect, quick wit, and especially for his

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voracious representation of his clients. John was a leader and a mentor to many young lawyers.

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Over the years, he had some very memorable cases. In the 1980's he represented a client in an

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Alienation of Affection lawsuit which gained national attention and led to appearances on the

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Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue, and Sally Jesse Raphael shows. In the 1990's he represented the

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Estate of Pearl Sunderland Rose which resulted in an auction of hundreds of historical artifacts

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and paintings, in particular a long lost 1858 Albert Bierstadt 6'x10' painting of Lake Lucerne,

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which was recovered from the late Ms. Rose's home and restored. The painting currently hangs in

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the National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C; and

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     WHEREAS, A life-long Democrat, John ran for the Rhode Island State Senate in the late

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1960's after graduating from Law School. Though his bid was unsuccessful, his passion for

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politics continued as an integral part of many successful city and state campaigns for some of his

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closest friends including the campaigns for former Warwick Mayor and Governor Philip W. Noel

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and former Warwick Mayor Joseph W. Walsh. He was an invaluable mentor to his children and

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was proud and honored to assist his daughter Bethany Furtado in her successful elections to the

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Warwick School Committee, as well as his daughter Erin Lynch Prata in her successful elections

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to the Rhode Island State Senate District 31; and

 

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     WHEREAS, For John, there was nothing more important than his family. John and Pat

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enjoyed hosting family holidays and many summer weekends at their Warwick home surrounded

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by his children and their families, relatives and friends. John and Pat were avid golfers and spent

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time traveling with some of their dearest friends to golf courses throughout Rhode Island, Florida

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and Ireland; and

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     WHEREAS, An avid supporter of Warwick Public Schools and Warwick Youth

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Athletics, John worked behind the scenes donating his time and raising money during the 70's,

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80's and 90's for many organizations, especially Toll Gate High School, the St. Gregory's Girls

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Softball program, the Kent County YMCA swim team, the Warwick PAL Football and Baseball

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programs, and Special Olympics RI. John was proud to coach his sons' Warwick PAL Football

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and St. Gregory's Baseball teams; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby expresses its deepest condolences to the Lynch Family on the

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passing of John D. Lynch, Esquire; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mrs. Patricia M. Lynch and Family.

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