Alumnus Shares Inspiring Cancer Journey

However, his life changed in an instant that year when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and shortly thereafter, a brain tumor. Today, after surgery, radiation, and 54 rounds of chemotherapy, he is cancer free—and living an even better life than before.

“I’m here,” the recently retired Mr. Lynch stressed during an interview on one of his last days at Chaminade. When asked how he weathered this ordeal, his answer was immediate: strength, courage, and resilience—as well as the untiring support of his blood, Chaminade, and St. John’s families.

“My whole career has been about relationships,” Mr. Lynch emphasized. A native of Mineola, he attended Chaminade and knew he would go to St. John’s, where his mother worked in the Office of the Registrar. A passionate athlete, he was excited at the prospect of playing Division III football.

“It seemed like a good fit,” he recalled, adding that he enjoyed his time at both schools. “I loved playing football at St. John’s. We were two-time champions of the Metropolitan Conference.” 

Mr. Lynch still counts several teammates among his closest friends. Campus life during the 1980s was exciting, he recalled. “President Ronald Reagan was a guest speaker, and the basketball team was amazing. They put St. John’s on the map.”

He began his academic career as an Engineering major, but switched to Education, with a concentration in the sciences, in his junior year. “I really felt drawn to teaching and coaching.”

With an exuberant personality that is a seemingly perfect fit for the teaching profession, Mr. Lynch immediately knew it was the right decision.

“My teachers at St. John’s were all great,” he said. “They pushed and motivated you. I enjoyed the challenges presented by science.”

Switching majors had another unexpected benefit: Mr. Lynch met his future wife Kristina ’86Ed, ’89GEd, who has also enjoyed a 30-plus-year teaching career. “St. John’s gave me everything I wanted,” he reflected.

While student-teaching at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Academy in Queens, NY, he learned early on how teachers could impact students in times of difficulty. “In January of 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded. “Seeing students console one another and watching the principal handle that situation made me stop and think how teachers could positively impact their students.”

Upon graduation, Mr. Lynch got a job at St. Teresa of Avila School in Ozone Park, while also coaching football at Chaminade. A year later a teaching position for an Earth Science teacher opened at Chaminade and he spent the remainder of his career there, eventually transitioning to Biology, and later, Physical Education.

“I loved teaching at my alma mater,” Mr. Lynch stressed, noting that he has kept in touch with many of his former students over the last 37 years, supporting several through difficult times. In 2016, it was his turn to be supported.

Early that year, Mr. Lynch started having difficulty eating. An endoscopy revealed stomach cancer, and a subsequent MRI brought even more disturbing news: the cancer had metastasized to his brain, where a tumor had grown. Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, whom he describes as his “team of angels,” performed a successful operation to remove the tumor, which was followed by two years of treatments.

Today, Mr. Lynch is cancer free.

Immediately after his diagnosis, Mr. Lynch was ringed by support from friends, family, and colleagues, many of whom took turns driving him to weekly treatment sessions, greatly easing the burden on his wife. Colleagues took over classes and sports, and Mr. Lynch was told by Chaminade Principal Bro. Joseph Bellizzi, S.M., that nothing was more important than his recovery.

He was inundated by supportive calls, emails, and texts. Visits from members of his St. John’s and Chaminade families kept his spirits consistently lifted. Mr. Lynch’s devout Catholic faith also provided him with strength and solace during this incredibly stressful time.

Late in 2016, Mr. Lynch returned to Chaminade—invigorated by his new lease on life—and was treated to an uproariously warm welcome. The following year, he was honored when the student body dedicated the 2017 edition of the Chaminade yearbook, the Crimson and Gold, to him.

The seemingly endless rounds of treatment took their toll on his vocal cords, but his enthusiasm for teaching remained undimmed. As he bounds through the hallways, fist bumps are plentiful with every student who passes his way, along with the question, “How are you doing?”

So grateful for his recovery and the support of everyone involved, Mr. Lynch was inspired to write a book about his cancer journey, Go Make a Difference, in which he scrupulously recounts all the people who lifted him up.

In December, 2021 the St. John’s University Touchdown Club honored Mr. Lynch along with three fellow Chaminade coaches (all St. John’s alumni and teammates) with the Master Coach Award, given to exemplary coaches for advancing the St. John’s spirit by influencing young men as role models and character builders.

Mr. Lynch isn’t sure where life will take him after retirement. He plans to maintain a close connection to Chaminade, and hopes he can assist them with alumni outreach.

“Tomorrow is not promised,” he said. “There will be ups and downs in life. Take it one day at a time. Lean on family and friends for help. God truly has a plan for all of us. Stay positive, smile, and do your best in whatever you do.”