Firefighter
Michael Lynch
Engine 40
Ladder Company 32
(on Rotation Engine 40)
Private Service
Lightening
the Mood In a family of 10 children like the Lynches -- this
one Democrat, that one Republican, some of them independents
-- disagreements happen. And at family dinners, Michael, the
seventh oldest, was peacemaker. He would don a silly hat, utter
a one-liner, and "they would just realize we shouldn't take
ourselves too seriously," said his father, Jack. Michael Lynch,
31, was a firefighter with Ladder Company 32 in the Bronx, and
diffused the tension there too. Every time a Federal Express
truck drove by station, he would yell, "WILSON!" and run after
it like Tom Hanks in "Cast Away." Out on call, he would scream
at his friend Bill Owens from the back of the truck, "O-WEN!"
— as the horrible mother does to Danny Devito in "Throw Momma
From the Train." In November, Firefighter Lynch was scheduled
to marry Stephanie Luccioni. But the Lynch family has a news
video of Michael and firefighters from Engine Company 40, where
he was on rotation on Sept. 11, responding to the World Trade
Center attack. In it, Michael Lynch's face is somber. It was
about 9:44 a.m. The men were rushing down a stairwell in 4 World
Trade Center, and heading underground toward the south tower.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 15, 2001.
Michael F. Lynch, 30, of Bronx, New York, a firefighter with
Engine62/Ladder 32 of the New York Fire Department who was on
rotation to Engine 40, died saving others in the attack on the
World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Michael, the seventh
of ten children born to Kathleen V. and Jack Lynch, was engaged
to be married to Stephanie Luccioni on November 16. Michael
was a gentle, loving person who was known for his quick humor
and love of life. He was an avid fisherman, outdoorsman, and
sports lover. He coached a children's soccer team and was a
well known DJ who played at many local and charitable events.
He once worked for Dean Witter in the World Trade Center but
left that job to fulfill his dream of becoming a firefighter.
Michael will be remembered by his family and friends as a brave
and kind person who made us laugh and brought joy to our lives.
We miss him terribly. Tribute submitted by Kathleen A.Lynch