Helen M. Lynch

Helen Lynch After a twenty-three year courageous fight with cancer Helen Marie Lynch passed away on March 9, 2016 surrounded by her family and friends. Helen is survived by her two beautiful daughters, Michelle Septak (Jake Bales) and Rose Lynch (Ron Redman), her sisters, Gay Lippert (Dave Lippert) and Marian Lynch (Bob Moon), and a multitude of family and friends. Her two ex husbands, with whom she remained friends, Nick Bubash and Michael Septak, also survive Helen. Two of Helen's sisters predeceased her, Rosemary Lynch Quigley (Bob Quigley) and Patty Sonnet (Richard Sonnet); they will be awaiting her in heaven along with their parents, Grace and Thomas D. Lynch. In her professional life, Helen wore many hats, often simultaneously. She was an accomplished Attorney, beginning her legal career as the founding partner of Lynch and Surgent, PC. Helen and her sister Rosemary opened a Pittsburgh franchise for Healthcare Recruiters in which Helen served on the executive board of directors. Returning again to concentrate on the law, Helen took the position of Administrator of the Allegheny County Criminal Court. Helen moved into her final legal position, one that blended her love of the law with her acumen in real estate; and took a seat on the Allegheny County Board of Viewers. Throughout all of this Helen found the time to teach aspiring paralegals as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Allegheny County and Robert Morris University. Never one to be bored, Helen finally obtained her Real Estate license so she could pursue her passion to buy, sell and decorate homes with other peoples' money. (This came as a great relief to her family who had tired of moving Helen in and out of various houses just so she could redecorate.) Helen channeled her charitable interests into causes close to the realities of her life. She was involved in the brain cancer walk, an event motivated to finding a cure for her beloved nephew Matt Taylor. Her greatest efforts, however, went into the Lynch Open, a charitable golf tournament created along with her sister Rosemary, that event grew from a 9 hole potluck dinner with friends, where passing the hat gained $300, to a 36 hole challenge garnering over $600,000 in 25 years. Helen was very proud of her family and friends who worked tirelessly on this event in conjunction with Race for the Cure Pittsburgh, who respected her wishes to keep all the Lynch Open proceeds for the Allegheny County mammogram voucher program. The Lynch Open was honored as the largest non-corporate sponsor of Race for The Cure Pittsburgh. Helen lived a large life, encompassing many interests: work, golf, gardening, gambling, reading, to name a few, but family always came first. With her lips covered in a ruby red smile, she cajoled, bartered, badgered and sweet-talked everyone into doing things her way. Helen was the pillar supporting all the interlocking parts of the Lynch family. She was the mother, who made sure you were always loved, the sister who supported all your crazy dreams, the fun aunt who snuck you ice cream and painted your toenails red, and the friend who made you laugh so hard you peed. Helen was joy and comfort and fun. Saint Peter better be prepared with decks of cards, dominos and Mahjong tiles. Helen's life will be celebrated with a funeral mass at Saint Teresa's in Perrysville on Monday March 14, 2016 at 10:00am, followed by Internment at the Northside Catholic Cemetery. The Celebration will continue with a farewell luncheon at Sunny Jim's on Camp Horne Road. In lieu of flowers Helen requests that everyone vote for Hilary Clinton for President.

Helen M. Lynch

January 6, 1950 - March 9, 2016