2017 -- S 0622

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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S E N A T 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: Senators Paiva Weed, McCaffrey, Calkin, Goodwin, and Ruggerio

     Date Introduced: March 21, 2017

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

nephews and good friend; and.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stone; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

and Ireland; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby expresses its deepest condolences to the Lynch Family on the passing of John D. Lynch,

Esquire; and be it further

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

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

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