Robert Lawrence Lynch, 92, passed away peacefully at his home in Red Bank Dec. 30, 2023, surrounded by his family.
Preceding him in death was his wife, Irene Elizabeth Fehlig Lynch (2018), his parents Frank Owen Lynch and Ruth Kell Brown Lynch, eight siblings, and one great-grandchild, Soleil Franklin (2022).
He is survived by his six children: son Michael Sean Lynch and his wife Debbie Dickenson-Lynch of Freehold; daughter Kathleen Sioban Lynch-Metzger and husband George Weinbrecht of Lewes, Delaware; daughter Ann Brigid Lynch and her partner Christopher O’Donnell of Colts Neck; son Paul Kevin Lynch of Neptune; daughter Megan Colleen Lynch of Farmingdale; and daughter Shelagh Catherine Lynch of Freehold. He is also survived by nine grandchildren (Kristiana, Taryn, Kevin, Paris, Daniel, James, Katie, Amanda and George) and three great-grandchildren (Amilyn, Luna and Bodhi).
Robert was born Aug. 1, 1931, in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up during the Depression and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, intercepting radio transmissions. After returning home, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill and received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas. During this time, he met his wife-to-be on a double date. After graduation, he was offered a job by Bell Laboratories in Holmdel designing undersea cable telecommunication systems.
He and Irene married in 1958 and relocated to New Jersey, where they raised their six children. While becoming a young father and working, he completed his post-graduate degree at NYU. Over his career he registered a handful of U.S. patents, traveled across the globe and sailed on the CS Longlines cable ship around the world, supervising the men and women who laid telecommunication cables across the ocean floor.
Robert loved his job and remained with the company for 47 years until his undersea cable group was sold to TyCom, a subsidiary of then-Tyco International. He followed the job, continuing his career with TyCom – later SubCom – until he finally retired in 2015 at the age of 84.
Bob, as he was known to his friends and Baba to his grand- and great-grandchildren, was a man of many talents and many amazing qualities. He was an artist, a model plane builder, a sports lover (Go Mets!, Go Big Blue!), and a crossword puzzle connoisseur. He did his own home and auto repairs and improvements and he shopped for the family groceries every Saturday.
He loved the beach, took up cycling in his 50s and traveled extensively both for work and pleasure. He was smart as a whip, a hands-on father, a gifted teacher and an incredibly patient and understanding father and husband. He was a rare, old-school gentleman: gracious, humble, generous and honorable.
He often appeared shy, but he had a great sense of humor and loved to entertain with get-togethers with friends. He was socially conscious, open-minded and believed in equality for all, regardless of race, religion, sexuality or gender. He was a parishioner of St. Gabriel’s Church in Marlboro and later St. James Church in Red Bank.
The family is proud of the man he was and is comforted by the gift of being a part of his very full life. He has left them with knowledge, laughter, stories and memories that fill them with love.
Services were held Jan. 4 at Holmdel Funeral Home, Holmdel, with graveside following at St. Gabriel’s Cemetery & Chapel, Marlboro.
This article originally appeared in the January 18 – 24, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
