Lynch, Honolulu biz journalist, has died

Russ Lynch, who wrote an estimated 30,000 business news stories in his 37-year career with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, has died at the age of 79.

Lynch, a New Zealand native, retired from the paper in 2003.

Lynch reported on the demise of Hawaii’s Big-Five, companies that were at once the backbone of life in the islands.

Dave Segal of the Star-Advertiser writes, “‘Russ was a whiz at getting facts and quickly turning them into very readable stories, for a long time without the aid of fax machines or emails,’ said Frank Bridgewater, editor of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Lynch’s editor for many years at the Star-Bulletin. ‘It was a big help that he had a good working relationship with all the CEOs in town, even though his articles may not always have been favorable. A real pro and a great colleague.’

“His longtime friend, former First Hawaiian Bank CEO Walter Dods, said it was because of Lynch that Dods first found out that he was the heir apparent to take over the state’s largest bank.

“‘Johnny Bellinger was my boss at the bank and was doing an interview with Russ,’ Dods recalled.  ‘I had been promoted to president and Russ said to Bellinger, ‘Can we assume your designated successor is Walter Dods?’ Bellinger said, ‘You’re the first guy to ask that question.’ He got Bellinger to say ‘yes,’ and that was the first time I found out I was the heir apparent at First Hawaiian Bank. He would ask questions that others were afraid to ask.'”

Read more here.