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Obituaries » Edward J. Lynch

Edward J. Lynch

September 18, 1934 - May 13, 2021

Service Date: June 11, 2021

Funeral Home Memorial Services of Iowa

Church Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Catholic Church

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Edward J “Jazzman Joe” Lynch, Jr., beloved son, brother, spouse, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin and child of God, went home to the Lord on May 13, 2021 due to complications following Covid.

Visitation will be held June 10, 2021 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart (OLIH) Catholic Church, 510 East 1st Street, Ankeny, IA with a brief wake service immediately thereafter.  Mass of Christian Burial will be at OLIH June 11, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. with live jazz music from 10:00-10:30 a.m. and a jazz burial at Ankeny Memorial Gardens, 4208 North Ankeny Blvd immediately following Mass. There will also be a reception at OLIH immediately after the burial. The service will be livestreamed at www.olih.org.

Joe was born September 18, 1934 in Passaic, NJ,  the eldest child of Edward J. Lynch, Sr. and Catherine E. Mallary. He spent his early years in New England where he was a Star Scout, a hockey player (defenseman), and a two-time letterman in baseball at Beverly High School (Beverly, MA).  He attended Boston University JC and obtained a BA in history from St. Anselm College (Manchester, NH) before marrying his college sweetheart, Ann P. Halligan, in 1959.  Joe also served eight years in the U.S. Naval Reserve, including sea duty aboard the Destroyer Escort USS Johnnie Hutchins (DE360).  Honorably discharged in 1961, he pursued a sales career which ultimately led his family to Central Iowa.  When not working or raising kids, Joe was an avid athlete and sports fan who, even in his later years, could hit a baseball further than anyone his family knew.  He was also a devout Catholic, a 4th degree knight in the Knights of Columbus, an accomplished tenor sax and harmonica player, a willing volunteer, and an expert in Traditional Dixieland Jazz.

He was preceded in death by his parents; spouse; and sister. Joe is survived by his brother, Stephen A. Lynch (Sue) of Upper St. Clair, PA; daughter, Dorothy A. Lynch (Jack) of Excelsior, MN; sons, Edward J. Lynch, III of Virginia Beach, VA, James B. Lynch (Simone) of Fircrest, WA, and William M. Lynch (Karen) of Rockford, IL; grandchildren, Jessica, Anna and Hanna; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews; and special friend, Jenny Thompson.

While the family is grateful for all Joe’s caregivers, special thanks go to Kerry Jo Ostring, Travis Greco, Jerry Coons, and Kirk Schwiete whose kind, compassionate and consistent care extended Joe’s life, enhanced his quality of life, and preserved his dignity.  The family is forever indebted to them and thinks of them as angels.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to OLIH or the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Society.

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