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Article from Warwick Beacon, Tue, Jan 14 2003
Lynch, a leader for many causes, died at 80
Written by JOY FOX
“He was a man of great principle.”
“He was full of the American spirit.”
“He was very fair.”
“My father truly touched hearts and souls.”
Late Monday morning friends and family of Robert B. Lynch offered those words while gathered at the Central Congregational Church on the East Side of Providence. Lynch’s memorial service, complete with an honor guard from the Pawtuxet Rangers, was to, in the words of his eldest son Robert, “remember his life.”
Lynch, 80, was found dead in his Cranston home last Wednesday. He was the husband of the late Viola (Bak) Lynch. She died in March of 2001. The couple raised two sons, worked tirelessly on historic preservation projects and ran the Nathaniel Porter Inn in Warren. As a couple they were inducted into the Cranston Hall of Fame in 2001.
Col. K. Frederick Holst of the Pawtuxet Rangers met Lynch 26 years ago through the Rangers.
“He was the commanding officer and I was the recruit,” said Holst, while sitting in the church’s pews after the service. Lynch was one of the organizers of the Rangers and held the title of colonel, commanding from 1974 to 1998. Since 1998 he has served as colonel emeritus. The Rangers are one of the oldest existing chartered commands in the country.
“I never knew he majored in psychology,” said Holst of Warwick, referring to Lynch’s obituary.
Now that he looks back on his times with Lynch, Holst said that it made sense. Lynch had the ability to get into people’s minds, work with people, he says.
“He had comfortable relationships,” said Holst.
Lynch graduated from Brown University, Class of 1944.
Holst remembered his friend as a mentor, and as a person with a wealth of information.
“He was always willing and eager to share what he knew,” he said. “He always walked tall and straight.”
Lynch was impervious to weather. Making note of the red coat militia uniforms donned by the Rangers, Holst said unit members could be wilting in the heat or freezing but there was never a bead of sweat on Lynch.
Lynch’s military accolades went beyond the Rangers. He was a Navy veteran of World War II, serving on the Harry F. Bauer in the Pacific, and participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima. His unit received a presidential citation for shooting down 13 enemy planes during the Battle of Okinawa.
His son, Robert, spoke of his dad’s survival of 13 kamikaze attacks and a torpedo that failed to detonate all while on board his “tin can.”
“Bob never demanded, yet commanded respect,” said Holst.
Frank DelSanto, the president of the Cranston Historical Society attended the services with his wife Barbara and others from the society.
Most recently DelSanto worked with Lynch on the unveiling of a portrait of Viola at the Sprague Mansion on Cranston Street. Viola was affectionately known as the ‘lady who saved Sprague Mansion.” The building was slated for wrecking in the late 1960s, until her intervention.
The society commissioned Lynch to paint the portrait of his late wife. Officially completed in February 2002, Lynch chose April 10 as the day for the unveiling, as it would have been their 57th wedding anniversary. It is safe to assume Lynch never got over losing his beloved Viola; he always spoke of her with a smile and a tear in his eye.
“He contributed so much to the Cranston Historical Society,” said DelSanto. “He was the type of person who did so many things behind the scene. People don’t realize he was a prime mover and shaker in the community.”
DelSanto pointed to Lynch;s involvement with the Rangers as well as saving, along with Viola, the Joy Homestead and Sprague Mansion. Lynch was a 40 year member of the society, a past president and member of Sprague’s board of management.
He was vice president of the Cranston Chamber of Commerce, and served on the board of managers of the Cranston and Greater Providence YMCA.
He was a commissioner of the Rhode Island Bicentennial Commission, a commissioner of the Rhode Island Heritage Commission, and chairman of the Providence Art Club. He was a member of the Preservation Society of Newport and the Kentish Guard. He was a graduate of Cranston High School, Class of 1940.
“I am very happy our paths crossed during our lifetimes. He was first class,” said DelSanto with a wink and a thumb’s up.
Lynch was also an active member of the Cranston Historic District Commission, according to Lynn Furney of the Cranston planning department.
“He kept the commission on their toes and always played the devil’s advocate,” she said.
Most recently he tracked the Carpionato Property project at the former boys’ training school.
“He always looked at projects and wanted to know why,” she said. “He could see both sides, a preservationist and a businessman.”
Prior to restoring and managing the Nathaniel Porter Inn, in Warren, Lynch worked at Taco Heaters for 22 years, and had been vice president of marketing. He had also worked at Textron and Carol Cable. The inn was sold six weeks ago.
His son, Robert, at the service offered the family’s remembrance. He described his father as a Renaissance man. He chose to speak about the Chief’s soul. Chief was Lynch’s affectionate family name.
He talked about his dad’s guiding principles and how he connected with all people. Robert quoted Kipling to emphasize his father’s ability to relate with people, “… if you can walk with crowds and not lose your virtue or walk with Kings – but not lose the common touch…”
They were about making the world better. “My father would not want a tribute written about him,” said Robert. Instead he insists his father would want a story written about how to make the world a better place.
Two weeks ago Lynch was in California, celebrating Robert’s wedding. Robert said his father was healthy and talking about the future. One topic was the mission of the Robert and Viola Fund.
The purpose of the fund is still in development, says Robert. He envisions Cranston students researching historical figures and translating their positive traits into community service initiatives.
“All great people had guiding principles,” said Robert. “[Their guiding principles] are what is transmittable through the ages.”
Aside from Robert, of Naples, Fla., Lynch is survived by Robert’s wife, Sandra and Richard and Brenda Lynch of Cranston; two brothers, Raymond Lynch of Furlong, Pa., and Kenneth Lynch of Warwick. He was the brother of the late Kathleen Lynch O’Connor.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Robert and Viola Lynch Fund, c/o The Cranston Historical Society, 1351 Cranston St., Cranston, RI 02920
The purpose of the fund is still in development, says Robert. He envisions Cranston students researching historical figures and translating their positive traits into community service initiatives.
“All great people had guiding principles,” said Robert. “[Their guiding principles] are what is transmittable through the ages.”
Aside from Robert, of Naples, Fla., Lynch is survived by Robert’s wife, Sandra and Richard and Brenda Lynch of Cranston; two brothers, Raymond Lynch of Furlong, Pa., and Kenneth Lynch of Warwick. He was the brother of the late Kathleen Lynch O’Connor.
He talked about his parents as a team. “She was truly his counterbalance,” he said. “He was a visionary who had honor and integrity. She had great depth, warmth and charm. They synergized together.”
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was the son of Raymond & Mildred Lynch of Cranston, RI 
