Police officer turned lawyer Ricky John Lynch farewelled at funeral

True to his colourful nature, a partner-saving former Qld police officer turned lawyer who sometimes wore slippers to court helped pen his own eulogy amid a battle with an aggressive cancer at 50.

Ricky John Lynch, a respected former police officer turned lawyer, tragically passed away aged 50.

As the final notes of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” echoed through The Chapel in Branyan Gardens, the casket holding Ricky John Lynch, a giant in the Bundaberg community, was carried past hundreds of mourners who had gathered for a final farewell.

The song was a fitting tribute for the 50-year-old police officer-turned lawyer who one colleague described as “a man of contrast and surprising nuance”.

Ricky’s children and siblings sat at the front, comforted by guests, while former colleagues and members of the SES, security teams, police force, and legal profession, alongside his family, all joined to say their last goodbyes.

The colourful life that sparked laughter from the hundreds of guests was described in a touching eulogy by his brother-in-law and former colleague Matt Barch.

Ricky Lynch spent decades serving the community through law enforcement, legal defence, education and volunteer work.

Mr Barch opened the eulogy—partly written by Ricky himself—with the kind of formal courtroom address trademark to lawyers introducing themselves to the court.

“I appear on behalf of the departed Ricky John Lynch,” Mr Barch announced to the gathering.

Born on Friday, September 13th, 1974, a date viewed not as an omen but as a prelude to “great things to come,” Ricky was the second of five children and the first son.

He attended Avoca School and later Shalom College, where he truly “left a mark,” Mr Barch said.

In his early years, he was known for his “drive and discipline” as a swimmer and rugby league champion, always one to “strive for excellence”.

He was also described as a larrikin and was voted class clown in high school.

Ricky was voted ‘class clown’ in high school.

His early antics were legendary. His older sister Kelly recalled him at 16, sneaking off to the “Rock Hop” during family dinners. His younger sister Stacey remembered him as the family athlete, and a trendsetter for shaving his legs before she was allowed —much to her envy, for better “aerodynamics”.

As a youth, Stacey said he took in a young kangaroo he named Flipper.

After a brief stint in the banking world and a gap year picking grapes in Mildura with his grandparents, that “rounded his love of family and strong work ethic,” Ricky joined the NSW Police Force in 1995.

He quickly proved to be a courageous officer, notably disarming an axe-wielding woman and saving the life of his partner during an encounter with a “drug-addled man in Bundaberg with a handgun”.

Ricky John Lynch joined the police force in 1995 before making a transition to law.

Colleagues at the Bundaberg Police Station recognised his “knowledge of policing” and called him a “leader.”

He displayed an “enduring commitment to justice” and had significant “influence on Bundaberg Police Station.”

His transition to the legal profession brought the same mix of professionalism and levity that had characterised his police career.

Colleagues from his stint as a police officer in Bundaberg said the 50-year-old left his mark on the station.

Colleague and lawyer Nick Larter remembered Ricky’s “particular ability to lift the mood of practitioners in court,” providing “a welcome relief amidst the maelstrom”.

Nick recalled that Ricky even “attended court in his slippers”—a testament to his unique approach to the profession.

“He had goodness in his heart and genuinely wished to help others,” Nick said, noting Ricky’s final months battling metastatic adenocarcinoma — a stage 4 cancer that had spread beyond the bowel.

He "carried himself with dignity, humility and humour” even in the face of adversity, Mr Larter said.

Despite his many achievements over 50 years, Mr Barch said being a father to his children was the greatest accomplishment of Ricky’s life. In words penned by Ricky himself, he said:

“They are my pride and joy. Everything I did, every challenge I faced and joy I celebrated, was made more meaningful because of them.”

He expressed the hope that his “spirit will endure in them.”

Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” played while Ricky Lynch was carried out by family.

As the ceremony came to an end, the mark Ricky left on the Bundaberg community was evident in the hundreds who gathered to celebrate a life full of contrasts—father, son, courageous police officer, larrikin, and dignified lawyer who attended court in slippers—a man who truly knew when to hold ‘em, when to fold ’em, and always when to fight for what mattered most.

A funeral notice said Ricky passed away surrounded by his loving family on June 23rd, 2025, aged 50 years.

Ricky helped write his own eulogy.

It said he was the “dearly loved father of Rhianna, Jaimeson and Jacob, dearly loved son of Karen Lynch and much-loved grandson of Audrey and Bill (dec’d) Howard. Loved brother and brother-in-law of Kellie and Glen, Stacey and Matt, Joshua and Lisa and Paiganne and Chris. A much-loved uncle of Makinley, Chelsea, Madeleine, Olivia, Patrick, William, Noah, Sean, Aiden and Elouise.

Forever In Our Hearts”.

Ricky was a dedicated family man.

Bundaberg lawyer Ricky Lynch dies after cancer battle, hosted own wake before passing

Originally published as Police officer turned lawyer Ricky John Lynch farewelled at funeral