John “Jack” Douglas Lynch, age 96, passed away on Friday, July 5, 2024 at Silver Maples of Chelsea. He was with family and under the blessing of care from Arbor Hospice and the Silver Maples staff.
He was married to his loving wife, Jessena “Jessie”, for 55 years until her death in 2013. Jack was born on March 21, 1928, in Gaylord, MI to Harry and Lula Lynch. He graduated in 1946 from Gaylord High. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and spent two years in Japan during the WWII post-war occupation.
Returning to Gaylord, he attended Central Michigan University for three years. He then left school for one year and worked as a salesman and delivery driver for Farm Crest baked goods. After that job, he and a friend drove out to California in 1953 on Route 66. After six months, he decided to return home and finish school at CMU and graduated in 1954.
After college, he worked one school year in Johannesburg schools as a math teacher. He was always good with math and numbers. That skill led him to a job with the State of Michigan and his work of 35 years in Property Assessment and Taxation. During his first years with the State of Michigan, he met his wife and life partner, Jessie Reed, and they married in 1958. They wasted no time starting a family, and all three of their children were born in Gaylord. Jack was promoted several times. From Gaylord, they moved to Paw Paw, MI. After five years his next promotion took the family to Tecumseh, MI. He would spend the next 51 years living in Tecumseh, the last 44 years living in the house he and his family helped build. For health reasons, his final move was to Silver Maples in Chelsea.
Jack loved several hobbies. Gardening was a passion. For many years he managed a one-acre garden with fruit trees. He grew so much that his family had a roadside fruit and vegetable stand for a few years, and he loved giving away apples and pumpkins for Halloween. Youth baseball was another passion. He coached Little League teams in Gaylord, Paw Paw, and Tecumseh. His Tecumseh Police teams won two city championships in 1974 and 1975 and one year played in Canada. Jack and Jessie loved bowling and playing cards, lots of Bridge and Pinochle. They also loved antiquing and spent many hours traveling and sorting through shops, barns, anywhere they might find some old treasures. Jack also loved refinishing old furniture and was a good woodworker. After his retirement in 1991, they traveled the country and spent the colder months in Winterhaven, Florida.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Jessie, his brothers, Bill and Jim, his sisters, Elaine (Mitchell) and Pat (Lange), and his grandson, Derrick. He is survived by his children: Steve (Lynette), Jeff (Donna), and Jackie (Mark); grandchildren: Angela, Jeremy, Jason, Zachary, Jacob, and Sarah; great-grandchildren: Juan, Alejandro, Juliette, and Katerina; great-great-grandchild, Ziovanni.
There will be a family memorial at a later date in Gaylord, where his ashes will be interred with those of Jessie in a family plot, per his wishes. If you would like to make a donation in his honor, Jack’s favorite charities were Neighbors of Hope Lenawee and the Salvation Army of Adrian.
Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.
