James Lynch
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James Lynch, 23, of Lawrence, died on December 27, 2022, in his home in Ottawa, KS. He is survived by his parents, Eric and Kara Lynch and his sister, Grace Lynch, all of Lawrence; his grandmother Betty Lynch of Lawrence; his many aunts and uncles Helen and John Bugh (Raytown MO), Chris and Melodie Lynch (Wildwood, NJ), Mary and Rob Matthews (Lawrence), Lori Bryan (Lawrence) and Pat and Sara Lynch (Desoto, KS). Phyllis Brown (El Dorado, KS), Darcy Woodham (Denver, CO), Danis and Karl Sprague (Orlando Fl), Kelley Gillum and Tony Plumb (Chelem, Mexico) and 19 first cousins.
James was known and loved for his ability to connect with others through kindness. Many years ago, his mom asked him what he wanted to do for work when he got older. He said, “I want to be kind.”
He also entertained his family and friends while growing up with his many phases: his taekwondo phase, his magic phase, his “collection” phase, his Steve Jobs/Apple phase, his baseball phase, his parkour phase, his Justin Bieber hair phase, his Instagram local celebrity phase, his vegan phase, and his “The Office” phase.
James attended Corpus Christi Catholic School through fourth grade, then attended Schwegler Elementary, South Middle School and Lawrence High School, where he graduated in 2017. While at Lawrence High, he was involved in choir and was on the swim team and cross country team.
What James loved most in the world were people, his family, his dogs, singing, all things Harry Potter, thrifting, and graphic t-shirts. In this past year, he taught himself to be an exceptional cook. He also came to find great joy in making music, especially rap music, with his friends. The last month of his life, he treated himself to his great adventure when he went on a solo road trip to Tijuana, Mexico. He spent his time there meeting people, exploring the culture and having great fun trying to learn enough Spanish to communicate. He said that this trip was life changing for him.
James Lynch’s funeral will be Friday, January 6, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. The visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., followed by Mass. His family will speak at the visitation. They will plan to speak at 11 a.m.
A few weeks before James’ death, he told his family that he would like to create a movement that he called “Kindness, Just Because.” To his core, he believed that every person should be seen and heard. To honor that beautiful vision, and in lieu of flowers, the family has created a GoFundMe account https://gofund.me/491fee59 that will be used exclusively to fund moments of kindness in this community and beyond.
I am all in! Peace to James and your family!
My heart goes out to the Lynch family. James and I were both a part of the IPS (Interpersonal Skills) class at LHS. He was a great teammate when we played soccer with them in unified sports as well. I did not know him extremely well but all the times I saw him he was such a very nice guy. A very selfless, kind hearted person and someone who will definitely be missed. Prayers to the family! Peace my friend!
My sincere condolences to James’ family and friends.
I always loved James’s joyful spirit and joie de vie! So many hours he and Charlie played together: jumping on the trampoline, swimming in your pool, playing with their Nerf guns, watching movies…Your house was Charlie and Mary’s (and my) second home for several years! Those are the experiences that will be with my kids forever and were at the center of their childhoods. I can’t wait to see his spirit continues with Kindness, Just Because. Thank you for doing this for our community.
I worked with James bartending and he always complimented my hair . No matter if it was done or not . He always had something nice to say and was the most positive friend you could ask for .I loved working with James and I will forever cherish every moment we had googling drinks behind the bar because we forgot what went into them .
Thinking of all of you with ‘loving kindness.’ I echo the sentiments that it would be a beautiful legacy for James to inspire more kindness in to this world of hours. Having known you Kara, Eric, and Grace, that is who you are and that is why he believed in this. I did not know James as well as I knew Grace but you are a family of beautiful spirit. My heart aches for your loss. I will make a mental note moving forward to see James when I see kindness and will go out of my way to extend kindness to honor his spirit.
James was the star of my first written project. He had such enthusiasm and creative energy bringing words to life, and I am honored to have known and worked with him. May his memory be a blessing!
Alex and I are so sad to hear this news. May you find peace in time.
I am sure James got his kindness belief from his grandmother Betty and his parents. It was the way he was raised and the values he was taught. My heart goes out to the entire family and prayers will be said for all of you.
Like Viv, when reading about.James’ kindness I thought, “Yes, he has those Grandma Betty genes. Must be the whole family since you have chosen to honor his memory by establishing the ‘Kindness, Just Because” fund to benefit others. Know that I am sorry for your loss.
Peace to James. Kara, Eric, Grace and prayers. 🙏
I am so very sorry for your loss. Your family is in my thoughts and prayers. I only wish I could have known James better. God Bless you all!
I have nothing but fond memories of James back when we did martial arts together at Premier Martial Arts. He was a good partner to work with and a wonderful friend. It was an honor to test alongside him for our black belts together. The world lost a good soul. My condolences to your family during this time.
I remember your family as a very loving and close family when I worked during the time that James (and Grace) attended South. So sorry to hear of the death of James. Hoping you will be surrounded by comfort as you grieve his loss.