(1922-2009)
John Gibbons Lynch Sr., a resident of Cary, IL, and Inverness, FL, died on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 , after a battle with gastric cancer. He was 87 years old.
Mr. Lynch was born in Oak Park, IL, on August 12, 1922, to the late Mary Catherine (Casey) and Patrick Columbus Lynch, and raised in Elmhurst, IL. He attended York High School and was a 1947 graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. During World War II, Mr. Lynch served as a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps and attained the rank of captain. He also took graduate studies in accounting and business at Northwestern University.
Mr. Lynch began his professional career as a sales representative for the Burroughs Corporation , moving to Robert F. White Co. in 1962. He later opened John G. Lynch and Co., a computer service bureau that standardized computer programs for accounts payable, payroll and general ledger. In 1970, JGL & Co. formed a partnership that acquired several mid-sized suburban banks. Mr. Lynch was elected Vice President and Director of one of these banks, 1st Security Bank of Cary Grove, until 1986. His experience in data processing and banking led to a concept of the first non-bank telephone bi ll-paying system. Local and regional banks, phone companies, utilities and payees used this technology extensively. Renamed SafePay, he moved his firm into Chicago in 1986, where it remained until he retired in 1995.
Mr. Lynch married the former Roberta (Bobby Gay) Wyman in 1951. The couple had a great love of family. In 1961, they moved from their home in Des Plaines, IL, to Cary, to accommodate their seven children. Mr. Lynch loved boating , fly fishing and horseback riding and for many years he belonged to the Wayne DuPage Hunt Club; he shared those loves with his children, nieces, nephews and friends. After his retirement in 1995, he and Roberta divided their time between Inve1ness , FL, and Crystal Lake, IL, until her death in 2005 . The following year he married Lorraine McSherry, and they resided in Cary and Inverness until his death.
Mr. Lynch was deeply involved in the community affairs of Cary and McHenry County. He worked with Cub Scouts, the Senior Citizens Council, Cary Youth Baseball and initiated a Girls Softball Division of the Cary Youth Baseball. He was a founding director of Lake Region YMCA, serving in that capacity from 1970- 1975. In 1967, Mr. Lynch played a key role in organizing the United Fund of Southeast McHenry County (now the United Way of McHenry County). He was the founding President and served continuously as a director from 1967-1980.
From 1979-1985, Mr. Lynch represented his parish, SS. Peter and Paul Church in Cary as a director of Catholic Social Services of McHenry County, serving as President from 1982-1985. He served as President of the Cary Chamber of Commerce from 1967-1973 and was a director from 1968-1975. He was given the Distinguished Service Award by the Cary-Grove Jaycees in 1979.Mr. Lynch married the former Roberta (Bobby Gay) Wyman in 1951. The couple had a great love of family. In 1961, they moved from their home in Des Plaines, IL, to Cary, to accommodate their seven children. Mr. Lynch loved boating , fly fishing and horseback riding and for many years he belonged to the Wayne DuPage Hunt Club; he shared those loves with his children, nieces, nephews and friends. After his retirement in 1995, he and Roberta divided their time between Inve1ness , FL, and Crystal Lake, IL, until her death in 2005 . The following year he married Lorraine McSherry, and they resided in Cary and Inverness until his death.
Mr. Lynch was deeply involved in the community affairs of Cary and McHenry County. He worked with Cub Scouts, the Senior Citizens Council, Cary Youth Baseball and initiated a Girls Softball Division of the Cary Youth Baseball. He was a founding director of Lake Region YMCA, serving in that capacity from 1970- 1975. In 1967, Mr. Lynch played a key role in organizing the United Fund of Southeast McHenry County (now the United Way of McHenry County). He was the founding President and served continuously as a director from 1967-1980.
From 1979-1985, Mr. Lynch represented his parish, SS. Peter and Paul Church in Cary as a director of Catholic Social Services of McHenry County, serving as President from 1982-1985. He served as President of the Cary Chamber of Commerce from 1967-1973 and was a director from 1968-1975. He was given the Distinguished Service Award by the Cary-Grove Jaycees in 1979.
Treasured by his large family, John is survived by his wife, Lorraine McSherry; his daughters, Roberta (Gary) Terpstra of Chattanooga , TN, M. Catherine (Joachim) Pleil of Durham, NC, Elizabeth (Tim) Dwyer of New Canaan, CT, and Margaret (Richard) Meyer of Stafford, VA; and his sons, John G. (Patrice) Lynch Jr. of Boulder, CO, and Patrick Casey (Kristine) Lynch of Lake Mary, FL. He was extremely proud of his 17 grandchildren, Brian, Mark and Amy Terpstra, Michael, Kevin and Emily Lynch, Maureen and Kristen Pleil, Allison, Connor, Kevin and Caitli n Dwyer, Patrick Heck, Brady and Zachary Meyer, Ivon, Rebecca and Benjamin Gomez, and his 2 great-grandchildren , Ethan and Katelyn Terpstra. He has many nieces and nephews who will miss his presence in their lives. Preceding him in death were his wife of 54 years, Roberta Wyman Lynch; his daughter, Emily Gomez; his brother, Francis J. Lynch; and his sister, Patricia L. Heffron.
Mr. Lynch will be remembered at a wake to be held on Sunday, November 15, from 3 to 6 PM at the Kahle-Moore Funeral Home, 403 Silver Lake Road, Cary, IL 60013. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday , November 16, at 10:30 AM at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 410 North First Street, Cary, IL 60013. The interment will be at Windridge Cemetery on Rawson Bridge Road in Cary.
For information , please cal l Kahle-Moore Funeral Home (847) 639-3817. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to: Cancer Care, Attn: Natalia Hayeem , 275 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001, www.cancercare .org; Hospice of Northeastern Illinois, 410 S. Hager Ave., Barrington , IL, 60010, hospiceanswers.org; or to the Durham Interfaith Hospitality Network , Attn : Catherine Pleil, 1216 N. Roxboro St., Durham NC 27701, www.dihn.org.
