Garry Lynch Australian Tribute Website | OnlineTributes.com.au | Australian Tribute Website

Respectance: Online Tribute and Memorial

Garry Lynch

Died Sep 09, 2009
Sydney, Australia

Garry's work has helped many others who have lost a loved one. He has left a legacy that will never be forgotten. He now joins his beautiful daughter in heaven.

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Loving Father

Garry Lynch, the father of the murdered Sydney nurse Anita Cobby and foundation member of the Homicide Victims Support Group, died at a western Sydney nursing home.

The former Royal Australian Navy graphic artist, who was 90, had Alzheimer's disease. His wife, Grace, and daughter, Kathryn, had been at his bedside on Saturday.

The Lynch family were catapulted into the spotlight after Anita, 26, was abducted near Blacktown railway station one night in February 1986 while walking to her parents' home in Blacktown. The Sydney Hospital nursing sister had moved back with her parents after the breakdown of her marriage.

Her battered and naked body was found in a Prospect cow paddock with her throat cut. The Lynches' heartfelt pleas for information about the killing sparked the largest manhunt in Australian history and ignited unprecedented public rage, including calls for the reintroduction of capital punishment.

Gary Murphy and his brothers, Les and Michael, and John Travers and Michael Murdoch were convicted of the murder of the former Miss Australia Quest entrant.

The late Justice Alan Maxwell described the killing "as one of the most horrifying and physical and sexual assaults" in his 40 years in law and recommended that the files of the five men be marked "never to be released" - for the first time in Australian judicial history.

Yesterday the former detective inspector Ian Kennedy, who led the murder investigation, paid tribute to the compassion, courage and dignity of "a lovely man".

"When I asked him to co-operate with the media at the start of the investigation, to try to get us some public assistance, little did I know that through his dignified manner it would actually lead to that vital piece of information being provided," Mr Kennedy said. "In some ways, he himself assisted in solving his daughter's murder."

Later the family helped set up the Homicide Victims Support Group and lectured police on how to deal with the relatives of homicide victims. Mr Lynch became the first civilian to join the Serious Offenders Review Council.

A funeral will be held this week at Pine Grove Cemetery, where Anita was interred. Mr Lynch is survived by his wife and daughter, her husband and their two children, and his sister, Blanche.

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Memories

my farewell

catie newell Jan 16, 2009

farewell to you gary i never met you but ive had heard so much of yours and your wifes courage i know you will be with anita in heavon im just so sad that her life was taken so tragically and she was so young i wasent born then but when i heard of her story i was deeply saddend goodbye gary please give anita all our love from catie

My Memory

Thus Oct 28, 2008

I have immence respect for a man who I have never met but wanted to meet. I only knew him because I have came across Anita's story online. I have been devastated to know that Anita suffered at the last hours of her life. Yet I didn't knew about her until this year, I wish I could do something for her. To be garry and to be the one to identify Anita's body, I can't even imagine. RIP Garry, I hope you do join Anita in heaven.

Dear Garry

Paul Burbidge Oct 10, 2008

Anita nursed me from 1985 to 1986, in Coffs Harbour Hospital to Sydney Hospital, when I finally got transferred to Sydney. I had eighteen major reconstruction operations on my left arm. Ten operations were under Anita’s care. I went off a cliff in a car and had my arm partially severed and crushed. (I wish Anita could have nursed me through the other eight operations.) I’m forty one now, but I was a young eighteen year old man when Anita was nursing me back to health. From a patient’s point of view, nothing was too little; nothing was too big in Anita’s terms. She loved her job. One time I had a tendon transfer, and, once again, I had an internal bleed in my arm. My arm swelled up and stated bursting stitches. Even though this happened around 8;00PM at night when Anita was due to “knock off”, Anita stayed back and walked my trolley into the operating theatre at 10:00Pm at night…just to make sure I was alright. A few months later, whilst I was recuperating at home, I heard over the radio (at 9:00AM) that a nurse by the name of Anita from Sydney had been murdered. I held my breath until the 5:00PM news came on……but when they put Anita’s photo up, I disappeared under a privet tree about a kilometer down the paddock to grieve by myself. Some time later, Garry rang me and asked if I would unveil a plaque in Anita’s memory at the Sydney Hospital Chapel. I agreed and that was the most humble and honourable commitment I have ever taken on in my life. Thank you Garry and Peg, and my best wishes to Kathryn and your family.