William Francis (Bill) Lynch, Jr., died on July 7, at The Firemen's Home in Hudson, NY. He was born on August 12, 1922 at Flower Hospital in New York City, son of William Francis Lynch, Sr., and Mary Josephine (Duffy) Lynch, and grew up in the Chelsea section of New York City.
In 1938 he graduated from De la Salle Private Institute as valedictorian of his class. In 1942, at the age of 19, Bill graduated from Manhattan College with his first Bachelor's degree. In 1944 he earned a BS from Manhattan and attended medical college from 1944-46. In 1951 he graduated from Brooklyn Law School with his BA and his Juris Doctor in 1967. He was a member of the Delta Theta Pi law fraternity.
Bill was owner of Certified Employment Agency from 1949-1954 before joining Nationwide Insurance in 1954. He retired from Nationwide in 1986.
Bill was a communicant at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Ridgefield, CT since 1954 and was a past District Deputy and past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 245 in Ridgefield. He received honors of the 4th degree in 1958 and was the state insurance chairman for Connecticut.
In 1954, Bill joined the South Salem Fire Department and at the time of his death was the oldest active member of the department. He was Chief in 1972, 1973 and 1977 and received Firefighter of the Year awards in 1992 and 1997. He was past president of the SSFD in 1969, 1970 and 1980-83. He obtained and wrote the charter for the SSFD Benevolent Association in 1973 and chaired the Finance Committee for many years. He was also active in organizing and running the annual fund drives and served as a fire district election inspector for many years. Known to many as "Mr. SSFD", Bill was the voice of the annual fireman's parade for over 30 years.
Bill was actively involved in volunteer fire service organizations including the NYS Fire Service Council, the NYS Fire Safety Consortium, the NYS Fire Marshalls and Inspectors Association, the Westchester County Fire Chiefs Association, the Westchester County Volunteer Fireman's Association, the Westchester County Parade Judges Association, the Westchester County Fire Advisory Board and the NYS Arson Task Force.
In 1942 during a Glee Club concert at the Waldorf-Astoria, Bill spotted Mary-Emeline Twomey dancing with the Ambassador to Belgium. He cut in on the dance and on November 24, 1949 married the love of his life. The couple settled in Brooklyn and moved to South Salem in 1953.
Bill was predeceased by his wife of 57 years, Dr. Mary E. Lynch on July 30, 2006 and by his brother, Reverend Patrick Joseph Lynch of Troy, NY. He is survived by nine children: Mary Clare of Bronx, NY; William (Lauren) of Tajikistan; John of Dover, NY; Michael (Sy) of South Salem, NY: Margaret of Queen Creek, AZ; Adele of San Diego, CA; Laura of Sharon Springs, NY; Diane of Binghamton, NY; and Angela (Joseph) Guerriero of Bethel, CT. Bill leaves 12 grandchildren, two great grandchildren and a brother, John Seal of Merritt Island, Fl.
Bill will be remembered as a thoughtful, generous and articulate man, a dedicated firefighter and a devout Catholic. He will be missed for his artful sense of humor and his dedication to his family and his friends.
Family will receive friends on Sunday July 10, 2011 at Clark Funeral Home in Katonah, NY. The Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Ridgefield, CT on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 10:15am. Interment will be at South Salem Cemetery on Spring Street in South Salem.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bill's honor to the South Salem Fire Department, PO Box 191 South Salem, NY 10590. Please join the family at the SSFD after the services for a reception and remembrance in honor of Bill Lynch.

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