Lynn businessman A. James Lynch remembered as generous, prominent

LYNN – A. James Lynch, a prominent Realtor and insurance agent for more than 50 years and who died peacefully last Thursday at age 85, had by all accounts an incredible life.The Navy veteran of World War II was stationed in 1946 on the new aircraft carrier USS Philippine Seas on its Operation High Jump expedition of the South Pole, led by famed Adm. Richard Byrd.The brother and sister who now run the business A. James Lynch established in 1955, Tom Lynch and Maura Lynch, reflected Tuesday, a day after their father was laid to rest, about his legacy, how he should be remembered and the most important lessons they gleaned from him.?Growing up we didn?t hear so much about his Navy career, but his generosity and kindness ?– to his family, his employees and to the community – that?s what he will be remembered for most,” said Maura Lynch, who today heads A. James Lynch Insurance at 297 Broadway, Lynn.Maura said when her father opened the Broadway office there was a three-story vacant house next door that needed work and her father donated it to Habitat For Humanity.What?s more, she said, he always had the best interest of his employees at heart.?It wasn?t about just making money with him. It was about how to distribute that money so (employees) could also have great lives.”In his heyday, A. James Lynch was the biggest Realtor in the area with offices in Lynn and Peabody.She said he taught his children that the keys to success are “to stay educated, go to work early every day and leave late.”After graduating from Merrimack College, Maura spent a decade working in the insurance business – for Aetna Life and Casualty, and for Coldwell Banker – but when her father called her to come up to head the insurance division of A. James Lynch, she was ready for the challenge. Today, Maura has a staff of six in the company?s insurance division and the agency offers all types of insurance, including home, life, auto and commercial.Tom Lynch, who heads up the real estate division of the company today with a staff of 10 brokers, said he went to work as a teenager while still in high school.?Before I was 18 I was taking pictures (of properties) and putting up signs,” said Tom, who also graduated from Merrimack. He said his father had a hand in selling properties on just about every street in Lynn over 55 years.?Honesty and integrity is what he was about. He wouldn?t always tell people what they wanted to hear, he would always tell them the truth,” he said. But Tom said his father “would help anybody buy a home.?When he started the business he never took vacations and he worked a lot of nights and weekends,” Tom said. And because of that work ethic, he said, “He had a great reputation (in the business community), with the Lynn 5 Bank and Lincoln Cooperative ?”After the founder of the business retired in 1990, Tom said his father and mother, Patricia A. (Newhall) Lynch, moved to Rockport, and they fortunately had the opportunity to travel often. Tom and Maura?s younger sister, Karen, is a flight attendant with Delta Airlines and there was a time when flight attendants? parents were allowed to fly for free on the airline.?That was great for them. They went to Switzerland and all over Europe,” Tom said, agreeing that it was beneficial the youngest of the family embarked on a different career; although Tom mentioned that Karen?s children could one day take the reins of the company their grandfather built.Even though he spent his retirement years living in Rockport, Tom said his father always considered himself a Lynner through and through.?He never lost touch with Lynn.”Sean Leonard can be reached at [email protected].