Carol Jean Lynch, 79, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, September 21, 2026, in Boone, North Carolina.

Carol earned her undergraduate degree from Carlow University (formerly Mount Mercy College) and a master's degree in speech therapy from the University of Cincinnati. In the early 1970s, she moved to Miami, married Von Beebe and had her daughter, Meagan. Also in Miami, she began a career as a speech therapist with the Miami-Dade School system, where she worked for nearly twenty years and which reflected her deep affection for children. During that time, she divorced and was a single mother for thirteen years.

In 1988 Carol met Dennis Lynch and two years later the couple married and moved to Denver, where Dennis was appointed as Dean of the University of Denver's law school. Carol continued her work as a speech therapist there before she and Dennis returned to Miami in 1999, when Dennis was appointed Dean of the University of Miami law school. In both Denver and Miami, Carol was supportive and engaged in the law school communities where Dennis worked. Beginning in 2012, the two spent their summers in Boone, North Carolina. They came to love the community of Boone and returned every year until her passing.

Carol loved to exercise. She ran marathons throughout the 1970s and 80s and continued running, walking, scuba diving, biking, yoga and Pilates. Carol and Dennis dived together in the Caribbean Islands and cycled through France, Italy, and Spain. In Miami, she volunteered to walk rescue dogs and to help them find loving families. Later in life, she trained her beloved dog, Mia, as a therapy dog, and the two spent many happy hours visiting children and the elderly.

Above all, Carol was known for her warmth. She was quick with a smile, a hello, and had genuine interest in whoever crossed her path. She will be deeply missed by all who had the gift of knowing her.

Carol is survived by her husband, Dennis Lynch; her daughter, Meagan Beebe Barnhard; her stepdaughters, Lisa Lynch Jack and Shannon Lynch Staats; her four grandchildren, Caitlin Staats, David Staats, Ian Jack, and Noah Jack; and her siblings, Patti Ferneding, Joseph Ferneding, and Jim Ferneding.

An announcement about a Celebration of Life event will be made subsequently. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Carol's memory to Best Friends Animal Society, a cause she loved and supported. https://everloved.com/life-of/carol-lynch

Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.