In Memory of Bob: Cecil Whig loses longtime employee

Serving as crew supervisor, Bob delivered thousands of hot-off-the-press Cecil Whig newspapers to subscribers and businesses throughout the county and parts of Harford County on his early-morning routes for more than 25 years.

Bob typically arrived at the Whig parking lot in the early-morning hours after midnight to load bundled newspapers into his truck, before making his deliveries in all types of weather. He drove his delivery routes five early-mornings a week, back when the Whig published Monday through Friday, and then pared down to twice weekly when the company started putting out the newspaper only on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Fittingly, given his love for and devotion to the job, Bob was was on the clock loading Cecil Whig newspapers into his truck on May 17 when he suffered his heart attack, which hospitalized him for about a day before he passed away.

“My dad loved the Cecil Whig and he loved delivering the newspapers,” according to his surviving son, Lawrence Lynch, 48, of Elkton.

Colleagues remember Bob as a hard-working and dedicated employee.

“He served the Cecil Whig and its readers in varying capacities over the years, and we never had to worry whether he would show up to work or be on time — a remarkable trait when you consider ‘on time’ was 1:00 a.m. each day we published,” said Chad Campbell, director of circulation & audience for Adams Publishing Group, which owns numerous newspapers, including the Cecil Whig.

Amy Bennett, who serves as the company’s multi-media account executive, commented, “He was a valued employee. He was dedicated.”

But for fellow employees, as much as they praised him for his work ethic and his unfaltering reliability, it was Bob — the person — that left them with their most cherished memories of him.

“He always thought about the other guy first, never himself,” said 73-year-old Edgar McKinney, who was part of Bob’s delivery crew for the past 11 years. “He always helped me load my papers, and I helped him load his papers. It was just something we did.”

Bob was McKinney’s boss. But the respect that McKinney had for him extended well beyond Bob’s job title and went much deeper than their work relationship.

“I looked up to him because he was such a good guy,” McKinney said. “I’m one month older than Bob, but I always called him ‘Pop Pop’ or ‘Boss’ because I looked up to him as a person. He treated every one great and he was easy to talk to. Bob was a lot of fun.”

The two developed a friendship over the years.

“Bob was the best friend I have. I talked to him on the phone just about every day about this and that,” McKinney said, noting that Bob was known for asking people about how they and their family members were doing; for listening intently when they responded; and for remembering the content of those conversations whenever their next interactions occurred.

Bennett recalled Bob’s concern when he learned that she sometimes worked alone in the Cecil Whig office.

“He would look out for me. Bob told me, ‘I live right down the road, so if you ever need anything, anytime, just call me’,” Bennett said. “He would do anything he could for you.”

Bennett said she will miss Bob’s easygoing demeanor, before remarking, “He was always smiling, always joking.”

Campbell expressed a similar description of Bob, as would anyone who ever met him.

“Bob was very gregarious — a kindly man with a warm smile who could carry on a lengthy conversation with a complete stranger with ease,” Campbell said.

Many people outside of the Cecil Whig family considered Bob to be a friend, too, even if their paths crossed with his periodically.

“Bob was genuine. He was just a sweetheart,” said Tina Mulligan, who has co-owned and co-operated Northside Market & Deli on North Bridge Street in Elkton since 1985, which is when Bob started patronizing the place regularly. “He came in as a customer all the time and he was always smiling, always happy. I loved talking to him. He was so easy to talk to. He really cared about how you were doing. He always gave me a hug. He also was ornery and loved to joke.”

Mulligan took the news of Bob’s unexpected death pretty hard.

“I was devastated when he passed away. I loved him because he was such a good, kind person,” Mulligan summarized.

Bob’s son told the Cecil Whig that he loved spending time with him — to the point that he even helped Bob load his newspapers on delivery days when he was able. Their shared interests included fishing and Lynch’s 1970 Chevelle.

“My dad was just an amazing man. He was my best friend,” Lynch said.

As his son, Lynch obviously received Bob’s love, care and attention, he said. As his son, he added, Lynch often witnessed Bob show his love, care and attention to others, too. Along those lines, Lynch recalled how Bob’s wife, Mary Lou, suffered from dementia toward the end of her life and how Bob retired from his newspaper delivery job for approximately one year to care for her at their home.

“He did everything for her,” Lynch marveled.

Bob’s decision to leave work to care for Mary Lou made an impression on Campbell, too.

“On a personal level, I found the love, patience, and devotion he displayed in caring for his wife as she dealt with her own end-of-life journey particularly inspiring,” Campbell said.

After Bob’s wife died in October, he decided to come back and deliver Cecil Whig newspapers again, according to Bennett, who emphasized, “We asked him to come back,” a testament to how dependable Bob was as an employee and how likable he was as a person.

“Bob will be missed by our Cecil Whig family, and we send our deepest condolences to those who knew and loved him most,” Campbell said.