A rosary and visitation for Kathryn Ann Lynch, 67, of Loomis, California, will be held Sunday, April 24 from 1:30-4 p.m. at the Hastings Funeral Home in Jefferson, with private family burial April 25 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Jefferson, Iowa.
Kathryn passed away Friday, March 25, 2022, in Loomis, California. Her funeral was April 12 at Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Rocklin, California.
Kathy was born Jan. 13, 1955, in Jefferson, Iowa, to Earl and Phyllis Lynch.
She spent her childhood years playing, working and exploring the Iowa farm she grew up on.
Kathy attended Jefferson Community High School and was a 1973 graduate. During her high school years, Kathy was a dedicated student and a standout athlete. She participated in cheerleading, gymnastics and track. She was elected homecoming queen in her senior year and was affectionately called Queen Bart due to her love for the Green Bay Packers and their quarterback, Bart Starr.
After graduation she attended Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids and received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She then went to Iowa State University and received her Masters of Science degree in Labor and Industrial Relations.
Kathy then went to work for a Fortune 500 company, where she specialized in labor relations administration.
A life-long love of politics prompted Kathy to start her own lobbying firm, Lynch and Associates, in Sacramento in 1985. Kathy enjoyed a highly successful career as a legislative advocate in California. Her clients included business and trade associations, the nonprofit sector and the educational sector. Kathy was very passionate about her work and considered each of her clients to be a dear friend.
She was involved in many professional and community organizations. She was also very active in her Catholic faith. She loved where she worked and lived.
Kathy enjoyed a long-term relationship with her significant other, Jerry Upholt. They shared many happy trips and adventures together.
Kathy is survived by her mother, Phyllis Lynch of Jefferson; sister, Patricia (Don) Oleson of Burlington, Iowa; brother, Jim Lynch of Carroll; sister, Becky Lynch of Ames; and sister, Diane Hogue of Denver, North Carolina.
A scholarship fund to advance educational opportunities for other young women seeking to make a difference in their community has been set up in Kathy’s honor. Donations may be sent to the Home State Bank, 115 W State Street, Jefferson, Iowa 50129, Attention: Kathy Lynch Memorial Scholarship Fund, or donations can be made to a charity of your choice in Kathy’s memory.
Kathryn lobbied hard against gun control legislation, and she always won. So sad that it came back to bite her hard. I’ll be mourning for all the innocent lives lost due to her hard work against common sense on behalf of America’s worst. It’ll take her millennia to work off that bad karma.