Michael P. Lynch - Obituary

ichael Phillip Lynch, an unfailingly dedicated husband, father and grandfather and self-proclaimed champion of all family croquet matches, died Aug. 11, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. Born in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 3, 1948, he was the youngest, but loudest, of four children born to Paul Sr. and Alice Jean Lynch. Lynch graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He served active duty in the U.S. Army from 1970-72, later transferring to reserve duty and eventually exiting with an honorable discharge at the rank of first lieutenant in 1977. Lynch obtained his Masters of Business Administration from The University of Maryland in 1979. For 50 years, he complained not once about going to the store, no matter how many times in a single day, for his beloved wife, Deborah. His steadfastness for her and their family was a defining quality immediately recognized by all who met him. He devoted the majority of his career to the families served by National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, acting as its vice president and chief financial officer in an incredible tenure that started in 1985 and did not end until his retirement in 2014. As the Center evolved to address all issues related to the prevention of and recovery from child victimization, Lynch kept the nonprofit’s financial health steady to ensure its mission could be fulfilled. As CFO, he negotiated, acquired and renovated the Center’s first headquarters in Alexandria, Va., and guided the organization to the highest charity ratings and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. To his wife and colleagues he was Mike, but to his six grandchildren, he was simply Poppy – their No. 1 fan at basketball and baseball games, violin concerts and at any and every turn life took. He would never deny them ice cream, though one often wondered if the gesture was not a smidgen self-serving. He is preceded in death by his parents Alice Jean and Paul Sr., and his brother Paul Jr. He is survived by his wife, Deborah; daughters, Meghan (Shannon) and Kerry (Brian); son Roarke (Adrienne); and grandchildren Nick, Alycia, Isabelle, Phoebe, Nolan and Prudence; and four great-grandchildren. A celebration of Mike's life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 2-4pm at the Heritage Harbor Community Lodge, 959 River Strand Loop, Annapolis, MD 21401 In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please make a donation to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at missingkids.org. Online condolences and tributes may be offered using the Memory Wall tab at the top of this page.