Remembering Ed Lynch

I first met Ed in 1977, when I was living in an efficiency apartment at one of Oakwood's several complexes here in Houston. He was only one of many 'characters' living there, but he caught my attention because he was so friendly and his interests were so diverse.


That's just a great shot of Ed, btw!

I've been trying to think of where Ed might have been when that photo was taken. He was probably in the 'lounge'. Ed was often there, along with several other "regulars" (myself included) and he could carry on a conversation for hours on end - on almost any subject - if you had the time and/or inclination to listen and participate!

He had a record collection numbering in the thousands, I would say (with not even the slightest attempt at exaggeration!) ... meticulously categorized and kept almost pristine clean (he dusted like crazy!). I spent many delightful hours in his apartment listening to more than just a few of them.

Ed did not get around very well. By that, I mean that he never went on walks or danced ... stuff like that. He often told stories about when he was much younger and figure skated with Sonja Henie. I cannot say for sure if his stories about Sonja and him figure skating together were true or not, but ... ... you know what? Now, after many years later, I believe them!

He was having problems with circulation ... particularly in one leg, which seemed to 'balloon up' at the slightest provocation. I do not recall if he was diabetic. Probably was.

He wanted to become an artist, a painter, and I encouraged him in his efforts. I thought that he, as an artist, should have a "cape" - or serape, as I liked to imagine it. I hand-knit one for him. He didn't like it. I still have it. It's huge! It's heavy. However, I like it and - at this point in time - you may not have it!!

He wanted me to save every picture or photograph that I thought "beautiful" for him, and so I began saving while he was practicing his new craft. The pictures or photographs could have come from calendars, cards, whatevers!

One of the 'beautiful' images I selected for his perusal was this one (do a single click to enlarge) ... ...


Ed chose to do an oil painting of that one. It's on the wall in my bedroom.

The painting is really 'not very good', critique-wise, but it means a lot to me. You can no doubt understand my favoritism towards this one, I'll betcha.

He visited in Munising with my dad and stepmother in the 1980's and created a small* (6x4, 7x5 maximum) multi-colored fall leaf oil that was extraordinary. Extraordinary! I don't have the vaguest idea where this painting might be now. When I last saw "GG" (my stepmother) in 2000, the painting was there in her room in the assisted living facility, but she had no idea where it had come from nor did she have the slightest idea of who had painted it.

[*Dimensions quoted are in inches.]

Oh, Ed! I hope that, wherever you are now, you can catch just a glimpse of this post and know how badly I wanted to come out to Phoenix to be with and possibly help you - certainly, I could have at the very least given you a hug! - in your last days ... try and give you some comfort. I'm sorry I let you down.

I couldn't 'afford' either the time or travel $$ it would have taken to get there, Ed. (I let my sister down in her last days, as well ... same reasons. And all about at the same period in my life - late 80's, all the way through the 90's and well into the very early 2000's ... ... not good years for Goldenrod.)

This post has ended on kind of a 'downer', hasn't it? I didn't really intend for it to be that way, folks! I wanted this post to be an 'upper' in memory of Ed Lynch.

What started all of this reverie? Well, ever since I first saw the header on Steven's new blogsite, I've wanted to write about this.