James Michael Lynch

James Michael "Jim" Lynch, 85, of Essex Junction, Vermont, died Friday, August 1, 2025, at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington following a brief illness.
Jim was born July 23, 1940, the son of Dr. John Frederick Lynch and Grace Matthews Lynch. At 17, Jim joined the US Navy, where his four years were nothing short of adventurous. He survived 60-foot swells and a cracked hull in the Atlantic Ocean while aboard the USS Corregidor. He served as a hospital corpsman and was on the Presidential Staff during a stint where he drove the Barbara Anne Presidential boat for President Eisenhower. He was able to explore much of Italy and Greece during his time in port.
In 1968, Jim began a long career as a civil servant with the US Post Office. Most of his time was served in the Burlington area as a postman. He served in management for a few periods of time and also proctored postal exams. He competed as an Express Mail salesman in Northern New England and was honored that year as Vermont's top salesman.
Jim belonged to the Green Mountain Corvette club and won Over 30 competitions at shows held throughout the Northeastern US and Canada. His Corvette, "Sparkle Plenty" was painted with gold-metallic-flake paint that would glisten radiantly underneath its 33 layers of clearcoat; those all-chrome engine parts weren't too shabby either!
He married Louise Guimond at his home in Essex on September 3, 1981. A longtime fan of the New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens, Jim's foray into competitive hobbies broadened after the birth of his son, Sean. Jim built a hockey rink in the backyard each winter expanding and upgrading it from the prior year. After a day spent delivering mail, he'd venture right back outside to maintain the rink each evening, all-while the other family members were snug and warm inside the house. The house that won Essex's Christmas Home Decoration contest. Twice.
Never once was Jim not a competitor. Though more truly: Jim was twice as much an artist at heart.
As a young man, he painted landscapes and built ship models. Later on, he fashioned duck decoy restorations that were indistinguishable from originals. There was nothing that broke that couldn't or wouldn't be more-beautifully glued back-together. No, it wasn't Kintsugi. Nothing in the house was ever safe from gold-leafing, I assure you.
Jim retired from the US Postal Service after 37 years of service, though he wouldn't remain idle for long. He went back to work for the next decade as a bus driver at the Colchester School district. Finally, he retired for good in 2015. Almost.
As an octogenarian, Jim insisted on mowing his own lawn and hauling his own trash. He drove himself every day, including that morning on the day Jim was detailing his car when he was taken ill.
Jim is survived by his wife, Louise Lynch; his son, Sean Lynch; his sister, Maryjean Kalanges; his brother, Terrence Lynch, and his sister-in-law, Kathleen Connor Lynch; his brother Joseph Lynch and sister-in-law, MaryBeth Miller Lynch; his brother-in-Law, Larry Tuxbury. Jim is also survived by several cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, good friends and neighbors.
Jim was predeceased by two brothers: John F Lynch III in 1998 and Richard Lynch in 2025; two sisters also predeceased him: Patricia Lynch in 1966 and Ann F (Lynch) Tuxbury in 2002.
There will be a brief viewing & visitation from 9:30am-10:30am on Thursday, August 14, 2025, in the Ready Funeral Home Mountain View Chapel at 68 Pinecrest Drive, Essex Junction. At 11:00am, a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Holy Family Church in Essex Junction, with final interment at Holy Family Cemetery thereafter. After interment, there will be an informal luncheon held at the Holy Family Recreational Hall to celebrate Jim's life. Those who wish to send a memorial contribution, please send to Tunnels to Towers, www.t2t.org.
Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services.