Doris Elaine Lynch, age 81, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, passed away peacefully at her home with her children at her side.
Elaine was born on August 2, 1941 in Atlanta, Georgia, to I.O and Frances (Shiver) Hagan, and raised in the Atlanta area with her sister, Carey. Following graduation from Sylvan High School, she began her studies at Emory University where she completed her radiography certification. She worked as an x-ray technician in Georgia at both Emory University and Grady Hospital.
While enjoying a meal at a local diner, Elaine met James A. Lynch, Sr. who was working in Atlanta on a construction job. Elaine relocated to Richmond, Virginia, where James was from, and the two married in January of 1963. While living in Virginia, they welcomed the birth of their son, James “Gary” Lynch. A few years later, in 1966, the family relocated to Michigan and settled in Ann Arbor where they expanded their family with the birth of their daughter, Lynne Lynch.
Elaine continued her work as an x-ray technician at University of Michigan Hospital and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. The Lynch family eventually moved to Ypsilanti, where Elaine would open up a daycare, Grandma’s Place Daycare, which would serve the families of the surrounding area for over 20 years.
In her spare time, Elaine enjoyed camping and fishing, playing cards with friends, and reading. She found great joy in bird watching and could tell you almost anything you needed to know about various birds and their daily habits.
After retirement, James and Elaine would spend half of their year living in Inverness, Florida where they enjoyed activities and events with their friends. After James began experiencing some health complications, the two decided to live fulltime in Florida and shared many happy memories until his passing in 2007. She found comfort in having her sister and brother-in-law, Carey and Jim, nearby, however, after her sister’s passing, it was time to move back to Michigan where her daughter, Lynne, could help oversee her care.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, James A. Lynch, Sr.; her parents, I.O and Frances Hagan; her sister and brother-in-law, Carey and Jim McLendon; and her step-daughters, Sylvia Underhile and Audrey Jane Sneed.
Elaine will be missed by her children, Gary (Tammy) Lynch and Lynne Lynch; her grandson, Shane Lynch; and her step-children, Avis DiAngelo, James A. Lynch, Jr., and Patricia Jones; as well as many step-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews, especially her special grandson, Bruce Underhile, who helped Lynne make sure she was cared for and comfortable during these last few years.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 4, 2022, from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm at Nie Family Funeral Home, 2400 Carpenter Road, Ann Arbor. Funeral Service will follow at 3:00 pm.
Memorial contributions can be made in her name to Arbor Hospice
(www.arborhospice.org/donate/).