Mary Rich Lynch passed away peacefully at her home on the evening of May 19, 2015. Services will be Friday, May 22 at 10:00 A.M. in the Coker-Mathews Chapel with Rev. Matt Beasley officiating. Burial will follow at the Lone Oak Cemetery. Pallbearers are James Fortenberry, Larry Green, Sr., Dale Dowell, Barry Nelson, Steve Ramsey, and Michael Taylor.
Mary Elizabeth Rich Lynch was the daughter of Gladys Viola Philips and John Woods Rich, the fifth. She was born in Woolrich, Pennsylvania on December 13, 1922. The community was home to Woolrich Woolen Mills, founded by her ancestor John Lynch in 1830. Close and caring relatives surrounded her childhood. The family loved to travel, usually taking Mary and her younger brother, John, along. Mary was a bright, happy child.
During World War II, Mary Rich met a young Navy pilot from Texas who caught her eye and captured her heart. On April 6, 1946 Mary Rich married Oral James (O. J.) Lynch in Galveston, Texas. The couple made their home just west of Lone Oak on land granted to O. J. Lynch’s ancestor, James Hooker, prior to 1846. After the death of her husband on March 7, 1993 Mary Lynch moved to Greenville.
Her parents, her brother and her husband preceded her in death. She is survived by nieces, Phoebi Rich and Lydia Rich Burkholder and nephews, James Wood Rich and John William Rich. Gracious, kind, and generous, Mary Elizabeth Rich Lynch will be missed by her friends and acquaintances. Donations may be made to the Salvation Army or a favorite charity.