Robert E. Lynch, James Wise Professor of Theater and Emeritus Professor of English at New Jersey Institute of Technology, died on June 22, 2023, in his home in Mount Arlington, New Jersey. He was eighty-two years old.

Professor Lynch held a BA from St. Frances College (1962) and earned a MA and PhD from New York University (1963,1971). A scholar of Shakespeare, he worked at Brooklyn College (1964-1967) before moving to NJIT where he taught for forty-one years. In service to the state's public polytechnic university, he served in key administrative roles, including Chair of the Department of Humanities and Chair of the New Jersey Basic Skills Council. An admired classroom educator, he held the Master Teacher designation awarded for popular courses such as Shakespeare on Film and English Composition. As a scholar, his work was supported by the National Science Foundation and the NJ Department of Higher Education. He published two textbooks and wrote on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from Shakespeare's influence on British writers to technical writing
assessment.

Professor Lynch was married for fifty-eight years to Colette Lynch (née Murphy) and was the father of Jennifer Radcliff and Stephanie Klinosky, and son-in-law Wayne Klinosky. He was grandfather to Katherine Radcliff, Ryan Radcliff, and Samantha Klinosky. He is survived by an older brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Joan Lynch, and was brother to the late Audrey DePaola. He is also survived by four nieces and four nephews.

He will be missed by all who knew him for his keen intelligence and enduring kindness. He found the better angels in us all.