Family pays tribute to popular pub landlord (From Malvern Gazette)

Family pays tribute to popular pub landlord

11:00am Thursday 25th June 2009 in Search

THE family of a popular pub landlord this week paid tribute to a man who knew so many people and never forgot a name.

Brian Lynch, who ran the Royal Oak in Leigh Sinton for 11 years, died aged 69 in the early hours of Sunday morning following a long battle with cancer.

Before going into the pub trade, Mr Lynch was an engineer officer in the Merchant Navy who served on the famous liner Queen Elizabeth.

He was born in Drogheda, Ireland, in 1939 and educated at Blackrock College in Duiblin, after which he studied for engineering qualifications in Liverpool.

Following his spell at sea he worked for the company Air Products, before taking on a pub in Barmouth when he married his wife Yvonne.

From there he moved to his first pub in Worcestershire, the Boar's Head at Severn Stoke, before taking over the Royal Oak.

"My father knew everybody who came in his pub," said his daughter Sinead. "He could always remember names, and if he'd seen you just once six months ago, he would still be able to recall your name.

He introduced people to other people and they would become friends."

After leaving the Royal Oak, Mr Lynch took over the Prince of Wales in Newtown Road, but was forced to give it up after a couple of years when his illness first appeared. Nonetheless, he worked behind the bar at Malvern Rugby Club, and also delivered prescriptions for the Lygon Pharmacy, Link Top.

He leaves his wife, two sons, Sean and Dominic, and his daughter.