DR. RICHARD HAROLD LYNCH

1935-2019

Dr. Richard Harold Lynch, 84, a long time Houston general, vascular, and thoracic surgeon, passed away on Thursday, October 17, 2019 following a short illness.

Dr. Lynch was born on March 15, 1935 during a blinding dust storm in Fairbury, Nebraska where he graduated from his hometown high school in 1953. After receiving his BA, Cum Laude, at the University of Nebraska in 1957, he graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical School in 1960. Dr. Lynch belonged to the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha organizations that recognize academic excellence. In 1965, he completed his Internship and Surgery Residency at Houston’s Hermann Hospital.

In 1966, Dr. Lynch was called to serve in the U.S. Army’s 68th Medical Group, 7th Surgical Hospital in Cu Chi, Vietnam. There, Captain Lynch saved many lives under seemingly impossible conditions.

Returning to private practice in Houston, he performed more than 34,000 surgeries over the next 30 years. Dr. Lynch served in a variety of leadership positions at Diagnostic Clinic Hospital and Park Plaza Hospital including Chief of Surgery and Member of the Board of Trustees. His surgical scrub nurse, Helen Tomb Taylor, remained a close, family friend throughout his post-retirement years.

Dr. Lynch co-founded Park Plaza Hospital, a 356-bed acute and general care hospital in the Texas Medical Center. At the time, Park Plaza was the largest privately-owned, for-profit hospital in the country.

After retiring in 1998, Dr. Lynch enjoyed spending time with his large family, raising red angus cattle on his ranch in New Ulm, Texas, as well as, entertaining and caring for his dogs and neighborhood black cats.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Rebekah Cherry Lynch; sons James William, John Harold, Fredrick Ryan and Richard Ian; daughter Ann Lynch Doty; siblings Robert Dean, William Albert, and Dorothy Lynch Mazur; and numerous grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Dr. Lynch is predeceased by son, Richard Warren; parents, L. Evelyn and J. Harold Lynch; and wife, Joyce Walla Lynch, M.D.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, October 25th, at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway. Family visitation precedes the ceremony at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, Susan G. Komen Foundation, or a charity of your choice.