Thomas A. Lynch

Thomas Alexander Lynch (Tom) died suddenly on November 22, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. His daughters Maureen and Julie were with him at the time. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on January 16, 1936, to the late Thomas and Madelaine (Kaeding) Lynch, Tom was a strong Catholic from a young age. When a teacher in elementary school treated him unfairly, he asked his mother to send him to Catholic school, where he was certain the nuns would be nice. This began his love of the church. When he met his wife Joan at Boston College, she brought him to daily mass and the deal was sealed. They were married in that church on April 18, 1959. Tom studied English at BC. After winning a short story contest in the Atlantic Monthly, he planned to write the great American novel but shifted his focus to business in order to support Joan and their dream of having a family. When Tom got a job at Liberty Mutual Insurance company, they moved to Alden, Pennsylvania and joined The Alden Playhouse where both Tom and Joan acted in classic plays. They made life-long friends, whom they cherished until they died. After moving to Lansdowne and creating lasting friendships there, Tom left Liberty Mutual to start a re-insurance division at the PMA Insurance company. Tom was so detail-oriented and risk-averse, he excelled in re-insurance and rose in the ranks. Tom and Joan then moved to Leopard Lake in Berwyn, where they loved being surrounded by nature, watching the deer and owls in their backyard. They took long walks on the country roads and enjoyed the tight-knit community that revolved around the lake. They remained dear friends with their neighbors from there as well. Tom was president of PMA until he left to handle reinsurance for Met Life in New York City. Tom and Joan enjoyed their time in New York as it enabled them to see hundreds of Broadway plays and foreign films. While in New York, Tom also was a devoted mentor in The Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization. Tom eventually left Met Life and was happy working at NJM Insurance Group until he retired. In 2003, Tom and Joan bought a home in Naples, Florida to escape the Pennsylvania winters. They settled there full time in 2011. They loved their Glen Eden community and enjoyed being part of a group that danced together on a regular basis. In retirement, Tom took finance courses at Villanova University and found great fulfillment investing full time. He also enjoyed tutoring children for a Catholic organization. Later, when Joan wrote an historical novel about the women who walked with Jesus, Tom started a company to publish and promote it. He was always Joan’s biggest supporter and appreciated how the book connected them even more deeply to the church. When Joan developed dementia, Tom became her fierce protector. Even though he was now in his eighties, he took care of her by himself for several years. When she needed round-the-clock care, he became one of her full-time caregivers, seven days a week, and managed additional caregivers so she would never be alone. Anyone who knew Tom, knew that he was wildly devoted to his wife. Seven months after Joan passed, Tom had a medical emergency and told his family he was ready to be with Joan. The morning he died, his daughter Maureen had just returned from Vatican City and given him a bracelet blessed by the Pope. He died with that bracelet on his wrist. Tom was also fiercely protective of his children. When they were young, he refused to let them ride on rollercoasters as he deemed them high-risk. When he and Joan traveled, he booked separate flights so the children wouldn’t be orphaned by a plane crash. If he was driving the family to Cape Cod for their summer vacation, he would turn the car around an hour into the trip to make sure he had turned off the stove. He was such a responsible father, his children called him “Cautious Tom.” They joked about his obsessive need for safety but deep down they were grateful, knowing that no matter what, Dad would always keep them safe. Tom is survived by Maureen (Kevin) Brosnan of Belmont, MA, who was a Managing Director at Accenture and is now a Financial Planner and Investment Advisor, Tom Christopher (Nu) Lynch of Tewksbury, MA, who was a Senior Process Engineer at Analog Devices and is now investing full time, and Julie Lynch of Beverly Hills, CA, who is a screenwriter and dedicated cat rescuer. Tom is also survived by his beloved grandsons: Patrick, Christopher and Connor. Tom is survived by his brothers-in-law James (Edna) Driscoll of Cape Coral, FL and John (Merrilyn) Driscoll of Toronto, Canada; sisters-in-law Maureen (Denis) Clifford of Stoughton, MA; and Eileen Greaney of Newton, MA. He is also survived by his cousin Karen Farrell and his niece Jennifer (Peter) Lyden, his nephews Jay, David and Roger Goerk, and their children. He was predeceased by his sister Coralie (Jay) Goerk, of Lakewood, NJ, and his brother-in-law Joseph (Judi) Driscoll of Walpole, MA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 11:00 AM at St. Agnes Catholic Church. Entombment will be at Palm Royale Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home, Family Owned Since 1978.

Thomas A. Lynch

January 16, 1936 - November 22, 2024