Lawrence Michael Lynch

Lawrence Michael Lynch

January 20, 1941 - October 21, 2005

Lawrence Michael Lynch

January 20, 1941 - October 21, 2005

Obituary

Lawrence Michael Lynch ~ A Life’s Journey

Lawrence Michael Lynch was born on Monday, January 20, 1941 in Devils Lake, North Dakota. The next year: ‘Mickey’ moved with his family to South Gate, California. In 1948, the family returned to North Dakota, where Michael attended a one-room schoolhouse, lived in a home with no electricity or plumbing, worked on the family farm, and learned to drive a truck by the age of 10. At Devils Lake High School he participated in baseball, basketball, the 4H Club, and was President of the Future Farmers of America Chapter. Prior to his senior year, the Lynches moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, near his cousins the Pehkonens. There, Mickey enjoyed drama and choir at South Milwaukee High School before graduating in 1959.

Mike began his college career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee but soon transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he participated in ROTC and was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity. The first college graduate in his family, he earned his BS in Economics in 1963. After college and a much-storied summer job as a ‘wiener tester’ at the Oscar Mayer factory, he served as a Medical Services Corps Company Commander in the US Army at Fort Hood, Texas, between 1963-65, earning both the rank of First Lieutenant and the nickname ‘Iron Mike’. Following his service, he returned to UW-Madison and earned an MBA in Finance and Accounting in 1968, while also working as a University Program Headfellow. It was then that he met the love of his life while studying in the Commerce Building Library, Susan Epes Turner. They were married soon after in St. Paul, Minnesota on April 19, 1969.

Following his MBA, Mike moved to Chicago to work for the ‘Big 8′ accounting firm, Haskins & Sells, where he had interned during graduate school. He quickly moved into the field of management consulting where he excelled. He appreciated the strategic challenges and competitiveness of this work, and valued its opportunities to travel, to work with and lead others, and to develop products, relationships, and systems that help bridge gaps within organizational structures. He gained experience as an auditor, and did post-graduate work at DePaul and Loyola Universities in Chicago. In 1971, his first child, Todd Michael, was born. The next year he was transferred to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his second son, Christopher Ames, and Aimee Susan’Daddy’s Little Princess’ were born. There, he continued his education at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and passed the exam to become a Certified Public Accountant in 1974.

In 1976, Michael was transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah, to head up the Haskins & Sells Regional Office of which he later became a Partner, and his youngest sons, Lawrence Blake and Nathaniel Stewart, were born. In Salt Lake, he founded the Planner’s Forum Chapter and served as its State President. He was also the Charter Chairman of the State Association of CPA’s Management Advisory Services Committee. He was active in his community and supported his family as a Cub Scout Pack Master, youth basketball coach, Wisconsin Alumni Club Director and Vice President, and Community of Grace Presbyterian Church Elder, Stewardship Committee and Building Committee Chairman, and ‘Mariners’ couples’ group member, and a voice in the choir.

In 1986, he accepted a position as Chief Financial Officer of Carson Dominguez Properties in California. The following year his family joined him and settled in Laguna Hills, California. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Michael went on to work for BFM Energy Products as Vice-President, and for McGladrey & Pullen as Director of Management Consulting. During this period, he also taught finance courses at Webster University, where he was voted ‘outstanding faculty member’ after his first year of teaching. He was frequently invited to lecture at professional conferences. From the mid-1990’s until 2000, Michael worked for AMS as Vice President, making but never complaining about an arduous commute from Fairfax, Virginia, back and forth to California every week to see and support his family in their activities. In 2001, he went to work for Unisys, Inc., as a Partner, and a few years later for the consulting firm Gartner, where he was Vice President. Since 2004 until the time of his death, Michael acted on the Board for Information Development Consultants, and worked as an Independent Principal Consultant and Project Manager with California Consulting Group and Bickmore Risk Services.

Outside work, Michael served his community, often hand-in-hand with Susie, as Laguna Hills High School Athletic Boosters President and Treasurer; LHHS Cross-Country Invitational Co-Chair from 1988-2005; perennial LHHS Grad Nite parent and volunteer; City of Laguna Hills Treasurer during the city’s incorporation; Rotary Club Treasurer and Vice-President; Cub Scout Pack Master; Geneva Presbyterian Elder, Stewardship Committee Chair, Usher, and G.I.F.T couples’ group member; Wisconsin Alumni Club of Orange County Co-founder, Treasurer and E-mail Chair, and was appointed to the UW Foundation. Travel was characteristic of Michael’s work, and took him to such destinations as Canada, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, and virtually every State in the Union, allowing him to become a ‘local’ in cities across North America. This was especially true of Hawaii, where he worked extensively and which he had loved since his honeymoon.

He claimed ‘puttering’ around the house as his hobby, but beyond this, he collected pint glasses, hats and caps, and frequent flier miles which he always gave away to his family; traveled to see his children and to Badger football games; walked and competed in 5K’s; enjoyed watching sports and having beer and pizza with Susie; and loved a good hot tub or a bowl of ice cream.

Michael died suddenly on Friday, October 21, 2005 of a bilateral pulmonary embolism at his home in Laguna Hills, California. He is survived by his wife of 36 years Susan Turner Lynch; loving daughter Aimée Susan Lynch Bakhshandehpour; proud sons Todd Michael Lynch, Christopher Ames Lynch, Lawrence Blake Lynch; beloved brother Stevan Alan Lynch; two adored grandchildren Nicolás Fuchs Lynch, Tomás Fuchs Lynch; son-in-law Sam Bakhshandehpour; daughter-in-law Barbara Fuchs; and aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family throughout the country. He is predeceased by his dearly-loved son Nathaniel Stewart Lynch, his parents Harold and Eva Lynch, and his brother Harold Alfred Lynch, Jr.

He was admired for his talents, experience, intellect, honesty, tireless Midwestern work ethic, and professionalism; renowned for his quiet, gentle, kind, and sensitive nature; and respected for his strong, positive, determined, and sometimes fiery personality. He was a perfectionist and a planner, was generous with his time and money, enjoyed others’ company, and loved above all else his family, wife, children and grandchildren, for whose care and well-being he devoted his life, career, personal time, and every thought. He was a farm boy who made it to the board room. He served his country and traveled it coast-to-coast. He was a self-made man, but wouldn’t boast of it. He had the know-how and the vision to fix nearly anything but seldom had the time. He was a Wisconsin Badger and a gentleman in the truest sense of the words. He was one of a kind; a father, husband, son, brother, uncle, grandfather, cousin and friend whose life enriched all of us fortunate enough to know him.

Thank you, Michael. We Love You!

A Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 ~ 9:30 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. at O’Connor Laguna Hills Mortuary, 25301 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Hills, California, 949 581-4300. 

A Graveside Service will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 ~ 1:00 P.M. at El Toro Memorial Park, 25751 Trabuco Road, Lake Forest, California, 949 951-8244. Immediately following the Graveside Service, all are welcome to an informal gathering at ‘Mad Mike’s’ Booster’s Sports Bar, 28621 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, California, 949 347-0111 to toast and celebrate Mike’s life.

A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, November 3, 2005 ~ 4:30 P.M. at Geneva Presbyterian Church, 24301 El Toro Road, Lake Forest, California, 949 837-2323 with a reception immediately following in the Simpson Hall.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to one of the following memorial funds in the name of Lawrence Michael Lynch.

Geneva Presbyterian Church
24301 El Toro Road
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
949-837-2323

Mission: Geneva Presbyterian Church
Payable to : L. Michael Lynch Memorial Fund
Designate as: L. Michael Lynch Memorial Fund

Send to:
Geneva Presbyterian Church
Attention: Patti Georges
24301 El Toro Road
Laguna Hills, California 92653
949-837-2323
____________________________________________

Laguna Hills High School
25401 Paseo De Valencia
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
949-770-5447 x4561

Mission: Laguna Hills High School Alumni Memorial Fund
Payable to: LHHS Alumni Association
Designate as: Lynch Memorial

Send to:
Laguna Hills High School
Attention: Steve McCormick
25401 Paseo De Valencia
Laguna Hills, California 92653
949-770-5447 x4561
____________________________________________

University of Wisconsin Alumni Club of Orange County
P.O. Box 10203
Newport Beach, CA 92658

Mission: University of Wisconsin Alumni Club of Orange County Memorial Scholarship
Payable to: University of Wisconsin Alumni Club of Orange County
Designate as: L. Michael Lynch Memorial

Send to:
University of Wisconsin Alumni Club of Orange County
P.O. Box 10203
Newport Beach, California 92658

____________________________________________

Laguna Hills High School
25401 Paseo De Valencia
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
949-770-5447

Mission: Laguna Hills High School Boys Cross Country Team
Payable to: LHHS Cross Country
Designate as: Mike Lynch Memorial

Send to:
Laguna Hills High School
Attention: Kevin Dempsey
25401 Paseo De Valencia
Laguna Hills, California 92653
949-770-5447

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142 responses to Lawrence Michael Lynch

  1. I knew and worked with Mike on and off for 10 years. He was gracious, considerate, and a very decent man. He was great company. I will miss him.

  2. Shocked at phone call from Blake! After losing contact by Christmas cards always wanted to search to reconnect but always”will do it later”. Enjoyed getting together at Ft. Hood although I was just an enlisted private at the time. Last meeting was at Lincoln Park apt. I have fond memories of our year as roommates at Theta Chi. Toby

  3. Alice Wright says:

    So sorry to hear about Mike’s death. My thoughts are with you at this sad time.
    with love, cousin Alice

  4. My first encounter with the Mike and Susie Lynch was shortly before our alumni club was formed in the early ’90’s. I thought to myself and have since shared with other alumns and Wisconsin friends, how lucky I was to connect with this family. The Lynch’s were the cream of the crop, so to speak, the best that Wisconsin had to offer in the way of personalities, sincerity, genuineness and accomplishment. I relished the opportunity to work with them in alumni affairs and formation of the club and it’s activities. I chose at one point to take our newsletter expanding it’s content and size. Once I passed the baton on the newsletter, Mike and Susie may have cursed me because it would become a literally a labor of love, but only through alot of work to meet deadline by getting article contribtors to get our articles in on time.

    Mike set the example as head of the family and remained to the day of his passing a man of great integrity, exemplary as witnessed in his pride and in his caring for his family and those whose lives he touched. I loved to hear their family stories, their chidrens accomplishments. In return they, without a blink of an eye, involved themselves into our live’s as if they were our best friend. Guess what, that’s what they became, maybe even more because they made you feel like family.

    They brought out the best in all of us, nuturing, cajoling, and spuring us on to the betterment of those University of Wisconsin friends through our illustrious alumni club and it’s assortment of activities. Mike, as all the Lynch’s, have set a precedent, an example, you might say, that if we could only be half of what they’ve meant to us personally and to all those lives they have touched, we would consider ourselves blessed and expanded “to be all that we could be”. I, of course, wrote the Army to get a release on that slogan. It’s just that it fit so appropriately here.

    When Dalal came into my life and became my wife I was lucky to have the Lynch’s to share with her. I thought that so cool because, not only did I get to keep my identity as ’60’s graduate of Wisconsin because the Lynch’s were so close to my age, but also I was able to introduce Dalal to all the Lynch kids. It gave Dalal the chance to relate to all age groups.

    The most interesting fact is that Mike and Susie became surrogate family to Dalal as Dalal had lost her father and her mom had returned to Jordan in the middle east.

    Of course, joining in on the founding of our Wisconsin Alumni club has given me personally, an amazing opportunity to connect with people like Mike that I may never have met, to joke with, to play golf with and share common business interest and just those kinds of stories that connect us as Universty of Wisconsin alumns.

    I was so impressed by Mike’s Univ. of Wisconsin Army ROTC connection that I found myself sharing with him my own experience. It was a great connection and soon found others in our midst to have similar stories of rank and priviledge in the service of our country.

    To make a long story short, we will miss Mike. His life touched ours like very few lives have. We were honored to have him as part of our family for as long as we did. We will look back and think of all his good deeds and embrace his example maybe to be all that he was to his kids, the good Scouts that he grew his boys into, the pedestal that he must have put his daughter Amiee on and the good husband he was to Susie.

    Mike, where ever we will be we raise our glass and toast you that we could pattern our lives “to be like Mike”.

    To all the Lynch’s,

    Love and Best Badger regards,
    Dalal, Gary and little Garrett

  5. Mr. Lynch was always kind to me. He was always genuinely interested in what i was doing with my life, and for that i am very grateful. He is survived by such a wonderful family, which is a testament to how wonderful he was in life.

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