Read Steven Paul Lynch's Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Steven Paul Lynch

Bandon, OR

August 19, 1946 - December 6, 2021

Aug 19, 1946 - Dec 6, 2021

In lieu of flowers

Please consider a gift to Sierra Club Foundation.

Learn more & give
Help keep everyone in the know by sharing this memorial website.

Share

Photo

Steven Paul Lynch, our beloved Papa, passed away unexpectedly on December 6, 2021, in his home in Bandon, Oregon. He was preceded in death by his parents. Steve is survived by his partner of many years, Jean Harper, both of his daughters, his sister, Kathleen, and brother, Patrick.

Steve was born to Carl and Wanda Lynch on August 19, 1946, in Hollywood, California. He was raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where he attended elementary through high school. He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1968. Steve married his high school sweetheart, Janice Pence, and together they had a daughter, Shannon Cathleen Lynch. He received his PhD in Botany from UC Davis and later moved to Louisiana, where he had a long, accomplished career as a professor at LSU Shreveport. There he met and married Paula Rhinehart, and they had a daughter, Megan Elizabeth Streetman. Upon retirement, Steve and his partner, Jean Harper, moved to Bandon, Oregon, where they lived together until his passing.

Steve’s life and career were shaped by his deep love of nature. He was an avid scientist, photographer, and gardener. He was also a natural teacher who loved to share his interests with others, sometimes even those they didn’t share. Shannon still vividly remembers one childhood summer spent wading through Louisiana bogs with Steve in pursuit of mushrooms and milkweeds while he assured her that the water moccasins couldn’t bite through her waders. However, she developed a love of science, learning, and teaching from his inspiration. Megan spent an entire summer in a car with Steve driving from Louisiana up to Alaska, and she remembers him entertaining her classmates in school with presentations about his beloved monarch butterflies.

Even after retirement, Steve never retired from lifelong learning, or from his many other enthusiasms. He continued to develop and categorize an extensive botanical collection, and his beautiful photographs have been used in numerous textbooks to teach the next generation of scientists. Steve was a talented guitar player. He loved cooking and eating, playing with his band, talking and telling stories, reading science fiction, and caring for his pets and garden. He will be immensely missed by his friends, his former students, and most especially his family.

Order a beautiful PDF you can print and save or share.

Get the PDF

Get notified when new photos, stories and other important updates are shared.

Please consider a gift to Sierra Club Foundation.

$25.00

Raised by 1 person

Learn more & give