Frank Halstead Lynch

Frank Halstead Lynch, 70, of Fredericksburg passed away on Friday, December 3, 2021, at Mary Washington Hospital after a multi-year fight with cancer.

Frank embodied resilience, toughness, and loyalty. A loving husband, brother, son, uncle, cousin and friend, Frank loved his family and friends, his country and those who serve it.  
 
Frank was the son of the late Frank W. Lynch, Jr., and the late Nancy W. Lynch. Survivors include his loving wife, Jackie Lynch; sisters Helen Patrick (George) and Roclyn Tennyson (Billy); uncle Junius and aunt Martha Berger; and a large extended family. He was predeceased by his sister Suzanne King (Jody).
 
Frank met Jackie through his long-time friend, Jackie’s cousin Rick Brown, who said: “They were drawn to each other from the very first time they saw each other. There was no stopping those two.” Jackie and Frank were married in 2015 in a beautiful ceremony culminating a courtship that spanned across two countries, where going on a date meant driving over a thousand miles.
 
Jackie was Frank’s rock throughout his battle with cancer. She was supported by her sisters-in-law, Helen and Roclyn, and lots of other family members and friends Frank and Jackie’s ever-faithful golden retriever “child”, Jersey also played a key role. He was seldom more than 5 feet from Frank.
 
Born on Long Island, NY on November 25, 1951, Frank went on to live in Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, and Florida before settling in Fredericksburg. He lost his father at a young age, driving him to become self-reliant while at the same time opening his heart to his uncle Junius Berger who was like a second father and who became a close friend through the years.
 
Growing up with Frank meant your life was blessed with his love, while his humor and practical joking was never far behind. His sisters Roclyn and Helen shared: “He taught us all kinds of things only a brother could - like how to climb trees. Only challenge was his smart-aleck sense of humor. He taught us how to climb up but not how to climb down." Helen literally spent hours stranded in a tree with Frank no doubt uttering his trademark ‘hee-hee' when he found out. As a child he loved playing Davy Crocket, and cowboys and Indians. Western movies and TV shows remained a favorite throughout his life.
 
He traveled extensively in the machine industry for years - where he ran & mechanically maintained million-dollar grinding machines at an expert level - before growing into a software programming position created just for him. His skills were in demand, as was his reputation for relentless support of clients and never backing down from a challenge. World leading companies such as Harley Davidson, Caterpillar and Boeing relied on his expertise to keep their grinding operations running - which in turn kept their manufacturing operations running.
 
His affinity for machinery also led to a passion for speed and motorcycles. Frank competitively raced on professional road racing tracks running at speeds more than 150 mph. He also loved relaxing bike rides with close friends - all over the country as well as the Fredericksburg region.  
 
A confessed “gearhead”, Frank also had a passion for Corvettes, vans and trucks, rebuilding and customizing his own as well as lending his skills to others. Friends and family were in awe of his “rides” over the years. Each vehicle had a mandatory state of the art sound system capable of concert-level sound. His aunt Martha said: “You could hear him coming long before he got down the driveway, it was a sound that brought joy to our hearts knowing Frank and Jackie were here to visit.”
 
Frank competed professionally as a pool player, nationally ranked at the peak of his career. He won tournaments often, becoming a known and respected figure - winning even after his diagnoses and having to start chemotherapy. Beyond his exceptional hand-eye coordination, his engineering-driven methodical mind could break down multiple angles of every shot, usually in less than 20 seconds. 
 
Frank’s biggest passions by far were music and fishing. They were his “happy place”. Drawn to angling at a young age, he learned the art and skill of rod and reel from his beloved grandfather Ross H. Walker who held multiple world records. Frank would go on to share those skills with family and friends, whether it be surf fishing, deep sea fishing, river fishing or simply a pond stocked with bass and perch. One of his biggest influencers, if not the biggest, was his late mother Nancy Lynch who was also expertly skilled at deep sea fishing, surf fishing and inland fishing. His favorite spots included the Outer Banks and the Gulf Coast of Florida.
 
As for music, anyone who knew Frank could expect the best tunes, endless library of songs, DJ’ing skills and first-rate sound equipment. Perhaps most surprising was his breadth of genres - from heavy metal to jazz to country to blues to rap to bluegrass to orchestral and symphony music. He knew everything about the artists and songs - and how to mix them together in a way that actually made sense. His playlists are published on Spotify and are addictive. His music talents included playing the guitar, piano and other instruments. He designed sound systems and even toured as a front of house sound engineer with recording artists in the 70’s.
 
Locally, Frank was a well-known and loved member of the Fredericksburg Moose Lodge. He spent many hours “running the table” playing pool with friends who will miss him (and his DJ skills) dearly. He thrived in the companionship and “Moose” family atmosphere. Additionally, Frank was a member of the Knights of Pythias Fredericksburg, where he also played pool and was a highly respected member and friend.
 
If you were lucky enough to be among his friends and family, you experienced his sharp sense of humor - complete with “Did he actually just say that?” jokes. Frank had a rare ability to find humor in nearly everything.
 
A celebration of life is planned for family and friends at the Fredericksburg Moose Lodge and Family Center on Saturday, December 11 from 12:00-4:00pm.
 
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice, in Frank’s name.