- Date Of Birth: March 23, 1927
- Date Of Death: February 26, 2017
- State: Maine
**Music: Titled; “Hugh” by NightNoise The song was chosen by the family. .
Hugh McKenna Lynch, most recently of Pownal, Maine, died at home with his daughters by his side on Sunday, February 26th, just a month shy of what would have been his 90th birthday. Hugh was the devoted husband of the late Jane Lees Lynch and the son of Ralph Lynch Sr. and Anna Katharine Gans Lynch.
Born in Montreal, Hugh grew up on a farm in Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, where he, along with his brothers Ralph, Hilary, and David, enjoyed a boisterous and happy childhood. After graduating from Shady Side Academy, Hugh spent a brief period in the U.S. Navy, and then went on to Dartmouth College, graduating in 1950 with an A.B. in mathematics. After completing his B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, he worked for the Kodak corporation in Rochester, New York, returning to the Pittsburgh area in 1957 to teach math and coach football at his alma mater, Shady Side. It was during this time that Hugh began dating Jane Lees of Sewickley. They married in June of 1960 and had two daughters by 1962. The young family moved to Baltimore where Hugh pursued a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Upon graduation, he worked for northern Virginia defense contractor Scope Incorporated until his retirement. He and Jane then moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, they took full advantage of the area’s great restaurants and vineyards and reveled in each other’s company. In 2012, Hugh and Jane moved to Connecticut to be closer to their family. After Jane’s death, Hugh moved to Pownal to live with his daughter, Janet.
Hugh had many interests and once remarked that he did not know what it was like to be bored. He was an avid skier who was a member of the ski patrol at Laurel Mountain in Pennsylvania, a fierce squash competitor, and a certified diver who captured his awe of undersea life in spectacular photos. He and Jane travelled extensively on and off the beaten path, but no place was more beloved to them than the island of Anguilla to which they returned many times. Hugh was a talented terrestrial photographer as well who dutifully filmed his teenaged daughters’ seemingly endless rounds at weekend horse shows as well as Jane’s pride of cats. He was also a great handyman who loved tinkering in the shop where his creations ranged from tiny hand-monogrammed jewelry to home-welded tractor implements. He enjoyed gadgets of all sorts, devising clever (and often elaborate) engineering fixes to everyday problems. Most importantly, he was always ready to drop anything to spend time with his family. Whether he was playing Frisbee in the park, body surfing at Bethany Beach, leading on the dance floor, watching herons, or observing the night sky, he was the consummate father and husband.
Hugh’s intellectual curiosity never waned. He steadfastly kept up with the news of the day and particularly enjoyed reading The New York Review of Books, sometimes informally assigning his daughters readings in its pages for future discussions. In his retirement, he took classes in photography, history, enology, aviation, music history and appreciation, and most recently statistics. He particularly enjoyed jazz and classical music and attending live concerts. He was also a fine raconteur with a wry wit, able to transform even the most commonplace events into entertaining tales. In 1961, the Shady Side yearbook staff wrote of him in its dedication: “Above all, Mr. Lynch is a friend, who can laugh at a student and even at himself”, and Hugh maintained that self-deprecating humor all his life. In addition, he was a genuinely philanthropic person who carefully considered his impact on the world, supporting many charities, particularly those focused on education, social justice, and the environment.
Hugh is survived by his daughter Janet Lynch of Pownal, Maine, his daughter Katharine Lynch and her husband Jonathan Clapp of Hamden, Connecticut, his granddaughter Amelia Jane Maggio, and twelve loving nieces and nephews.
