Robert Franklin Lynch

Robert Franklin Lynch was born December 29, 1926, in Texarkana, Texas, to Kathleen Walker and James Edward Lynch. He passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on March 1, 2022, at the age of 95.
Bob grew up in Paris, Texas, where he had many childhood adventures. While in high school, Bob was elected to be a boy cheerleader for his class. His favorite childhood memories were the summers he spent traveling to state fairs watching his father, Jimmie Lync,h and his Death Dodgers perform auto thrill shows. When he got older, Bob started participating in the death-defying stunt Burning Board Wall Crash.
Robert graduated from Paris High School in June of 1944 and left for A&M that same summer. Shortly after beginning college, he was drafted into the U.S. Army at the youthful age of 18. For his first official assignment, Robert was deployed to Nagasaki, Japan, in November 1945, just months after the atomic bomb was dropped. He graduated from A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry and a minor in agronomy in May of 1950.

After they were setup on a blind date, Bob married the love of his life, Wilma Margarette Holdbrook, on September 11, 1950, in an intimate ceremony surrounded by family at Wilma’s parents’ home in McGregor. Shortly after, Bob was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and sent to the Recruiting and Induction Main station in Oklahoma City where he supervised the induction of the draftees. While in Oklahoma, Bob and Wilma’s first daughter, Carol, was born on November 8, 1951. In 1953, Bob returned to A&M to do graduate work. In 1956, they moved to Sherman, Texas, where Bob worked as assistant county agent. After two years, he was promoted to county agent for Wellington, Texas. Their second daughter, Nancy, was born on October 4, 1956. In 1962, the family moved back to McGregor where Bob managed a 5,000-acre research and experimental station for A&M.

Bob retired from the state in 1982 and the Army in 1986. He served 41 years in the Army Reserves, working his way up the ranks to Colonel. He held many jobs during his service but was most proud of the time he spent in the Army Military Intelligence Unit.
After retirement, he operated his father-in-law’s car wash and owned two of his own. He also began preparing income tax, which he continued to do until just a few years ago.

In May of 1998, Bob and Wilma moved to “Sun City” Georgetown and lived their best life playing golf, watching over their grandchildren, refurbishing antique furniture, traveling the world, writing and publishing their life stories. They were members of the Hill Country Writers Club and Wellspring United Methodist Church in Georgetown, Texas.
On September 11, 2021, Bob and Wilma celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary at the home of their daughter, Nancy, with their family. Bob and Wilma were blessed to have such wonderful care from their family and caregivers, Stephanie Clary, Toni Hirst and Virginia Johnson. Bob enjoyed playing Gin Rummy with Nancy in the evenings, he even let her win a few times. He lived an amazing life and had many accomplishments, but he was most proud of his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Kathleen and James Lynch; brother, Jimmie, and sister-in-law, Betty Lynch; nieces, Kathie Lynch Jewell, and Karen Lynch Lodes. He is survived by Wilma, his wife of 71 ½ years and his daughters, Carol Lynch Conley, Nancy Lynch and Traci Knipp and great niece, Blythe Jewell. He was blessed with five grandchildren: Sunne and Curtis Dickey, Joshua Hardie, Tyler and Amy Hardie, Katie and Kymber Conley and seven great-grandchildren: Cydney, Paige, and Autumn Dickey, Kolton Northcutt, Kasten Broumley, Kamdin Govensky, and Hazel Hardie.
In lieu of flowers you may make a donation in Bob’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or The Bereavement Committee of First United Methodist Church, c/o Barbara Turner, 3301 Old Caufield Ranch Road, McGregor, Texas, 76657 or memorial contributions.