Joseph R. Lynch

February 26, 1924 - March 28, 2008

Joseph R. Lynch, 84, Homosassa, died Friday, March 28, 2008, in Hernando. Born Feb. 26, 1924, to Edward and Mary Skelly Lynch, he came here in 1999 from his native Philadelphia, Pa. Mr. Lynch retired from General Electric as an aerospace engineer. During his career he worked on the space probes to Jupiter and Venus, as well as the first rocket to the moon. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and was an Iwo Jima survivor. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in physics from Temple University and his Master’s degree in physics from Drexel University. The Joseph R. Lynch Observatory at Drexel University in Philadelphia is named in his honor and houses the largest telescope on the He loved to watch sports and was an excellent athlete in his youth and played softball following his retirement. He also enjoyed playing bridge. He was Catholic. He was married to his wife, Marie Olson Lynch, for 41 years before her death in 1987. He was also preceded in death by his parents and a son, Joseph R. Lynch Jr. Survivors include one son, David R. Lynch of Mountain Green, Utah; six daughters, Rosemary Kolesar of Toronto, Canada, Doris Lynch of Bloomington, Ind., Carol Chaney of Warick, R.I., Susan Lynch Wright of Yardley, Pa., Diane Schroettinger of Orlando and Joanne Lynch of Homosassa. Mr. Lynch is also survived by 15 grandchildren and was an expectant great-grandfather for the first time.