Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

May 16, 2019

CHARLOTTE- On May 16, 2019, Faith Rowland Lynch peacefully slipped the bonds of earth and touched the hand of God.  That morning, she felt the love of many friends and acquaintances she had not seen in some time, responding with the trademark smile for which she was always known.

 Mrs. Lynch was born on September 8, 1927 in Punta Gorda, Florida.  She was the only child of her devoted parents, Rupert Clyde Rowland and Annie Jane Rowland.

Except for a brief stint in Key West during World War II while her dad was assisting in the war effort, Mrs. Lynch spent her childhood in Punta Gorda.  She attended Port Charlotte High School where she was a cheerleader.  After high school and a brief period working for a local judge, she relocated to Miami, Florida, where she met the love of her life, Glenn James Lynch.  A native of Buffalo, New York who moved to Miami after serving in World War II, Mr. Lynch was a highly decorated Army veteran who was awarded three Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star.  The two were married on August 17, 1951 and celebrated more than 53 years together until Mr. Lynch’s passing in March, 2005.

The couple was blessed with three children, Wayne Lynch (now deceased), Craig Lynch, of Charlotte, North Carolina and Dru Lynch, of Portland, Oregon, all three of whom received their undergraduate degrees from Florida State University.  In addition to Craig and Dru, Mrs. Lynch is survived by her daughters-in-law, Mitzi Lynch, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jennifer Lynch, of Portland, Oregon, as well as two grandsons, Devin and Ryan Lynch, both of Charlotte, North Carolina.

As a member of the widely-heralded “Greatest Generation,” Mrs. Lynch selflessly stayed at home to raise her sons until Dru was in high school.  She then served in a number of administrative roles at nearby schools within the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system so that her work hours would dovetail with Dru’s school hours.  Mrs. Lynch and her husband moved the family to a lake home in Miami in 1969 where their sons enjoyed wonderful childhoods filled with countless days of swimming, boating, water skiing and fishing as a family and with their friends.

After she retired from the public school system in 1989, Mrs. Lynch and her husband moved to Tallahassee to serve as caregivers for their oldest son, Wayne, who had multiple sclerosis.  She worked for Capital City Bank in Tallahassee until she permanently retired in 1999.

In keeping with her name, Mrs. Lynch was a woman of faith and a churchgoer beginning in childhood.  As the then leader of the family, she stood strongest in her faith in 2005 when she lost her oldest son after losing her husband only six months earlier.  She was a devout member of the United Methodist Church, most recently attending Providence United Methodist Church and St. Francis United Methodist Church in Charlotte.  During the time she lived in Florida, Mrs. Lynch taught Sunday School and Bible School, and served as an active volunteer at the churches she attended.  She regularly corresponded with shut-ins as well as with her family and friends.

Following the passing of Glenn and Wayne in 2005, Mrs. Lynch relocated from Tallahassee, Florida to live in the Aldersgate community in Charlotte to be near her grandsons.  She actively participated in Aldersgate’s social events and planned activities, and spent time with her family.  The family expresses its heartfelt appreciation to all of the professionals employed at Aldersgate who so diligently and cheerfully served and cared for Mrs. Lynch during her thirteen-year residence there.

 A graveside service to celebrate Mrs. Lynch’s life will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on May 27, 2019 at the Abbey Funeral Home/Tallahassee Memory Gardens located at 4037 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32303.  Senior Pastor Kandace Brooks of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Tallahassee (where Mrs. Lynch was a member for sixteen years) will officiate.

The family will receive friends, colleagues and family, and a memorial service in tribute to Mrs. Lynch will be scheduled, in June at Aldersgate in Charlotte, NC.  Details will be forthcoming.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that gifts in memory of Mrs. Lynch be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 4601 Charlotte Park Drive, Suite 100, Charlotte NC 28217.

Mrs. Lynch will be dearly missed by her family, friends and regular mail correspondents, but they are all extremely grateful for the 91 and a half years they shared with her, and now entrust her to God’s care.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.