In 1948, after serving in the US Marine Corps during World War II, Edward J. Lynch, Jr. (1924-1992) graduated from Wayne State University and was licensed as a funeral director. He began his professional career with William Vasu Funeral Home in Highland Park. In 1962, he became managing director of Vasu-Lynch Funeral Home in Royal Oak. In 1974, he and his wife, Rosemary (1924-1989), purchased the Richardson-Bird Funeral Homes in Milford and Walled Lake.
In 1977, along with his sons, Thomas, Patrick, and Timothy and his son-in-law, Michael Howell, he established Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors with offices in Clawson, Milford and Walled Lake. In 1991, the Schrader Funeral Home of Plymouth, Michigan was purchased by Patrick Lynch and Michael Howell, and became the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home. In 2002, Timothy and Jennifer Lynch purchased the Bossardet Funeral Home in Oxford, Michigan, which has become the Bossardet Chapel of Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors. Shortly thereafter, they acquired the former Baird Newton Funeral Home in Lapeer, Michigan, now Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors, Capstick Chapel. As noted in Crain’s Detroit Magazine, in an age of large multinational conglomerates, Lynch & Sons has maintained steady growth while remaining steadfastly independent, family owned and operated.
Of Edward and Rosemary Lynch’s nine children, seven now work in one of the six funeral homes operated by the family.
Tom Lynch is a licensed funeral director in Milford, Pat Lynch is a licensed funeral director in Clawson, Tim Lynch is a licensed funeral director in Oxford, Lapeer and Walled Lake and Mike Howell is a licensed funeral director in Plymouth. Each is a graduate of Wayne State University Department of Mortuary Science. Mary Lynch Howell and Julie Lynch Kenrick, serve as bookkeepers for the family firm, while Brigid Lynch has served as the firms advanced planning advisor. Ed Lynch, III, is a funeral service assistant at the Oxford, Lapeer and Walled Lake locations. A third generation of funeral directors is represented by Timothy J. Lynch Jr., who was licensed in 1998 and manages the Walled Lake facility, Michael E. Lynch who was licensed in 2001 and manages the Milford facility, Julie Howell Romein, who was licensed in 2002 and manages the Plymouth facility, Katie Lynch Capstick, who was licensed in 2002 and manages the Lapeer facility and Kevin Lynch, who was licensed in 2002, and manages the Oxford facility. Sean Lynch works as a funeral service assistant and Mark Capstick is a licensed apprentice.
Edward J. Lynch served as President of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association in 1978, and his son, Patrick E. Lynch was MFDA President in 2003. Pat is currently a member of the executive board of NFDA. Thomas Lynch, a celebrated author, was appointed by the Governor to the State Board of Mortuary Science. In memory of their father’s contributions to their profession, Patrick and Thomas Lynch have established the Lynch & Sons Collection at the Library of the Wayne State University Department of Mortuary Science. New books are added to the collection every year to assist students with the expanding scholarship on death, grief, bereavement and end-of-life issues. Lynch & Sons has been recognized by the National Funeral Directors Association as Eagle Award Winners in the Pursuit of Excellence Program.
Now serving about 1300 families annually in communities throughout Southeastern lower Michigan, Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors is among the largest independent family funeral service firms in the State of Michigan. They are locally owned, locally operated, and locally accountable to the communities in which they serve and nationally recognized for professional excellence. For over fifty years and three generations, they have maintained a family tradition of dignified service.
