U of R couple support new scoreboard
Although baseball is his true passion, Gil Lynch ’65 has a special connection to another sport. To fulfill a physical education requirement, he enrolled in a bowling class his freshman year and met his future wife, Joyce Thomas ’65. “I took it because it was something different, and the rest is history,” he says.
In addition to bowling, Gil and Joyce took business and English coursework, and participated in Greek life and other organizations. Of all his activities, Gil is most proud to have helped coach the 1965 baseball team. This team, including Gil, was inducted into the Bulldog Bench Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame last fall. Gil reconnected with several players, including a few who became high school coaches. “I loved coaching, and it was gratifying to know that my teammates felt that I had contributed to the ’65 season’s success,” he says.
When the need for a new scoreboard was identified, Gil and Joyce knew it was a project they wanted to support. “Baseball was a large part of my life,” Gil reflects. “I know facilities are important, and hopefully this will be a recruitment tool for baseball.” Three of Gil and Joyce’s six grandchildren have had experience with the college selection process, so they recognize the significant role that high-quality facilities can play in a young person’s decision. “Whether it’s athletics or music, you need to hook them into something they like and show them how they can pursue those activities in college,” says Joyce. Thanks to the Lynches, The Yard’s new scoreboard will light up for Opening Day next spring.
Both Gil and Joyce are grateful to the University. As the first in her family to attend college, Joyce knew even before she arrived that she wanted to study abroad and took advantage of the University’s Salzburg semester program. “I was exposed to the world,” shares Joyce. “But what has been most lasting is the personal growth I had at Redlands.”
The couple even selected Jaime Quinones, one of Gil’s Spanish professors, to officiate their marriage in Pasadena back in 1965, and they remain close with many Redlands classmates. “Redlands gave us the tools for a successful life. We feel very strongly that the University has shaped our lives, and still does today,” says Joyce. Gil agrees, “The truth is that we would not be who we are and where we are without the University of Redlands.”
For more information on how you can support Bulldog athletics as Gil and Joyce Lynch have, please contact Brandon Mulder, philanthropic advisor, at 909-748-8350 or brandon_mulder@redlands.edu.
—Laura Gallardo ’03
