Photographer Fred Lynch retires after 43 years

The shutter closed on the 43-year career of Southeast Missourian photojournalist Fred Lynch on Friday, but not without a proper send-off during a retirement reception held in his honor Friday at the Rust Center for Media located at 325 Broadway.

Lynch photographed local natural disasters, including the Blizzard of 1979, the Great Flood of the Mississippi in 1993, the Jackson tornado of 2003 and multiple ice storms.

Community members and past co-workers celebrated Lynch's legacy with fond memories and cake, with speeches made by Southeast Missourian publisher Jon Rust and editor Bob Miller.

"It is a bittersweet day, for his first job, after college," Rust said. "It's one that he's been in all the way through."

For 43 years, Lynch has recorded "every aspect of life in this area," according to Rust, including families, children, schools, sports, nature, "and so much more."

Fred Lynch listens as Southeast Missourian editor Bob Miller speaks during a retirement celebration at the Rust Center for Media in Cape Girardeau. Lynch retired Friday after 43 years as a photojournalist for the Southeast Missourian.

"He has been a fixture of events in Cape," Rust said.

He labeled Lynch as not only a great photographer, but also one of the most prolific and popular bloggers on the Southeast Missourian website.

Since January 2009, Lynch has posted 1,228 articles online along with "who knows how many photos" as part of his blog, Rust added, along with being one of the original Southeast Missourian photographers licensed to operate a drone.

Miller compared Lynch's legacy to that of PBS' Fred Rogers -- a friendly icon made famous by 31 years of the television series "Mister Roger's Neighborhood."

Rogers came across as a trustworthy figure, was predictable, "and seemed as though he wanted to help you," Miller explained.

Southeast Missourian photojournalist Fred Lynch, center right, and KFVS12's Don Frazier reminisce over a Canon T90 SLR camera Friday, Aug. 24, 2018 in the Bullpen at the Rust Center for Media in Cape Girardeau. Lynch retired Friday after spending 43 years as a photojournalist for the Southeast Missourian.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

"Fred Lynch, much like Mr. Rogers, has always been a calming presence in the newsroom," he said.

Lynch has also surprised his newsroom counterparts on more than one occasion, unlike Rogers.

Miller told of a time Lynch rolled up to a Southeast Missourian weekend picnic, dressed entirely in biker gear, riding his motorcycle.

"We all stopped and looked. He gets off the motorcycle. He looks kind of intimidating," Miller said. "He takes off his helmet, and it's Fred Lynch. Our jaws dropped."

Also during the reception, Lynch said Southeast Missouri State University communications director Ann Hayes stopped by, which triggered a memory.

Fred Lynch adjusts a camcorder at his retirement party Friday, Aug. 24, 2018 in the Bullpen at the Rust Center for Media in Cape Girardeau. Lynch spent the past 43 years as a photojournalist at the Southeast Missourian.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

"She said, 'Fred, you have an interesting job.' And that stuck with me," Lynch said. "I'm thinking, 'yeah, it has been interesting.'"

After his comments, when asked what his retirement plans, Lynch jokingly said he's "on perpetual vacation now, and we'll see how that goes."

"I was never one to take longer than a week's vacation, because I just loved my work so much I hated to be away from it," he said.

For Lynch, the love for photography dates back to when he was young -- using black and white negatives.

He told of the first time his uncle took him down to his basement dark room and showed Lynch how pictures "magically appeared in a tray of developer."

Fred Lynch speaks to guests at his retirement party Friday, Aug. 24, 2018 in the Bullpen at the Rust Center for Media in Cape Girardeau.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

"And I think that's when the bug bit me. It was magic," Lynch said. "When I got to where I could do that same thing, it was like I was a magician."

Lynch and his wife, Robin, have been married since 1980, and she also was in attendance Friday.

"People have been asking me what we're going to do. I said, 'I don't know. We'll figure things out,'" Robin Lynch said.

She said her husband is going to use his time now to ride his motorcycle, and she hopes to have more time to relax and do some traveling.

Previous co-worker of Lynch, KFVS12 photojournalist Don Frazier, said Lynch had probably worked at Southeast Missourian 28 years before he arrived.

"I was hired at the time as a photo editor. I was never Fred's boss. Fred didn't need a boss," Frazier said.

Frazier said he didn't think it would've been "as easy" for him without Lynch. And according to Frazier, Lynch "basically knew everybody."

"If you had a question, just ask Fred," Frazier said.

One of the first people to work alongside Lynch in 1977 was Jay Wolz, who also was in attendance Friday.

Wolz was fresh out of college when he began his 7-year stint at Southeast Missourian. He said Lynch showed him the ropes, "when it came to the photography end of it."

"He was a mentor to me, taught me a lot about photography," Wolz said.

Joe Sullivan, retired editor of the Southeast Missourian, said he remembers Fred "being so dependable."

"When you needed something involving photography, and Fred was responsible, your worries were gone. Fred would take care of it," Sullivan said.

Lynch said he didn't "have far to look" at the beginning of his nearly 45-year career at the Southeast Missourian, after receiving a journalism degree at Southern Illinois University.

"One of the places I found within a reasonable distance was Cape Girardeau," Lynch said. "I really liked the city, and I really saw no reason or need to look to go anywhere else."

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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