At a farewell event in 2014, then-County Commissioner Bud Church read a proclamation recognizing Paula Lynch’s 26 years served on the town council.

By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

The Town of Berlin said goodbye to Paula Lynch this week, a retired, longtime councilwoman, who passed away after a brief illness at the age of 89 on Friday, April 25.

Lynch served 26 years on the Berlin Town Council, from 1988 to 2014. A moment of silence was taken in her honor at the Berlin Mayor and Council’s Monday, April 28 meeting, and a few members of the municipality’s governing body shared kind words about the late councilwoman.

Dean Burrell, council vice president, noted that he had the privilege of serving with Lynch “for several years.”

“She was a splendid representative of our town,” Burrell said. “One knowledgeable, one able, one always informed. I am saddened by her passing, but I am elated to be able to say to the public that she was a wonderful lady.”

Councilmember Steve Green also shared a few memories of Lynch, who was a founding business manager and bookkeeper at Worcester Country School, now Worcester Preparatory School.

“Talk about a firecracker, but someone with a heart of gold,” Green said.

The councilman added that an early memory he has of Lynch was as a junior in high school planning the prom, specifically booking bands for the dance as a student at Worcester Prep.

“Everyone had to go into her office to talk about money,” Green said. “We had a band quote for $500, she put it on speaker and she was going, ‘go down, it’s gotta be down lower, $500, no way.’ And we got them down to $300. She brought that through her whole life. She had a charm about her. She was a little harsh on the outside at times, but on the inside, I thought she had a heart of gold.”

Green proposed that the new road planned at Heron Park be named Lynch Lane, or something similar, in honor of the former councilwoman. Green acknowledged that many deserve the recognition but asked the governing group to consider the distinction when the time is right in the future.

“I just want it to be considered,” he said. “We don’t need to make a decision this early, but I think it’s fitting … I think it would be a nice tribute for her.”

Councilman Jay Knerr added that he, too, “had a good rapport” with Lynch.

“I knew her for a long time,” he said. “She was the one who encouraged me to run for council, so I very much appreciated our discussions over the years.”

Knerr noted that his memories of Lynch also extend back to his days as a parent at the private school.

“My first interaction with her was that I hadn’t paid my Worcester Prep tuition,” the council member said. “It was two days late, and she called me, and it was like dealing with the IRS … it never happened again. She was great.”

Lynch was initially elected to the council in 1988. Her final meeting was in October 2014, 26 years later.

Berlin tourism grew during Lynch’s 26-year tenure, beginning with an Atlantic Hotel renovation that kicked off a renaissance of the old, historic town. In the spring of 2014, Budget Travel named Berlin “America’s Coolest Small Town.” According to a 2014 article from The Dispatch announcing Lynch’s final meeting, the councilwoman said that she saw the Budget Travel designation coming.

“Long before everybody else figured it out, I always knew Berlin was the coolest small town in America,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure, and it’s been a lot of fun. I’ll take a lot of great memories from my time on the council.”

The 2014 article from The Dispatch described Lynch as “the fiscal watchdog on the council” and someone with a “reputation for closely watching expenditures, counting pennies and keeping an eye on the books.”

This characteristic was on full display during her final meeting over 10 years ago as the governing team reviewed a contract for a sidewalk project on Tripoli Street. The 2014 report noted that after learning of the successful low bid of Worth Construction for the project, Lynch asked where the money was coming from in the town budget.

“I don’t see it anywhere in this year’s budget,” she said at the time. “It’s just one of my things. I just want to make sure we can pay for it.”

Lynch was assured that the sidewalk expenditure was in the budget.

Green said this week that her tenacity and money-conscious mind continued after her elected service. Green recounted an instance last year when she questioned the absence of a line item in the town’s proposed budget. He said her diligence and attention to detail was part of her fabric.

Lynch had attended over 600 meetings, or two meetings a month for 12 months a year, when she retired from the council in 2014.

A funeral service will be held for Lynch on Friday, May 2 at 3 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Berlin. A visitation will take place one hour prior.