Stephen's Page
In Memorium
Stephen Norman Lynch, Artist and Illustrator
He was a man of all times, traveling in his imagination
from the past to the present to see the future clear.
Stephen Norman Lynch, Artist and Illustrator
He was a man of all times, traveling in his imagination
from the past to the present to see the future clear.
"Once there were two brothers who loved. One painted pictures of worlds inside his mind. The other mused and explored nuts, bolts, wires, batteries and bugs. When the one who painted pictures died he came to the other in a dream and shared his gift. Now the one who lives, a master of the web, shares the gift with all the world. It was perhaps meant to be this way from the beginning. For had the story not come to be told this way... then who would know?"
Terrence A. Lynch
Stephen with Lady. Stephen went to France with his family in 1957 where he lived for three-and-a-half years. During this period Stephen was influenced by European culture and lore. In school he would draw pictures of Nepoleon commanding his armies or themes from such popular movies of the time as Moby Dick. Stephen lived in the region of Orleans, France, where he learned about the heroic deeds of Joan de Arc. He motivated his little brother, Terry, to begin learning how to drawing. The above photo shows Stephen playing with Lady, an adorable solid black dachshund, in the backyard at the family's rental home in Chateauneuf. Lady lived to be 14 years old and was buried in the back yard at the Lynch family home in Jacksonville, Alabama, some years later. She was a great dog and Stephen would often draw her picture.
I posted this picture of Stephen with Lady as it reflects his kind and loving nature which was one of the outstanding qualities of his short, but full life. I say, "full" because Stephen had the opportunity to experience a good life with parents who loved him and a deep, spiritual bond with me, his little brother. I'm the one he taught to draw so many years ago and now I'm making web pages and endeavoring to share a little of Stephen's life with others. I want to do this because Stephen was a fantastic brother. We developed a deep love, that type of true brotherly love that is of lore. I was indeed fortunate to have Stephen as my brother and everyone who knew Stephen was fortunate to have him as their friend. So I've made this page for Stephen and hope you will enjoy learning about my dear brother and his artistic expressions, and perhaps come to feel his presence as I do still, after these many years since his passing.
 Images of Mind Oil on canvas |
Stephen died when struck by a truck while walking along a rural Alabama highway. The driver said Stephen, "Stepped in front of the truck." The truck driver's wife sent a letter to the family confirming her husband's story. She said Stephen looked back and saw the truck coming and stepped in front of it. The truck driver never visited nor contacted the family to express his remorse. Therefore I figure he either was a coward or had something to hide. Of course maybe lawyers told him to keep his mouth shut. Whatever the case may be I think this truck driver should have stepped forward and spoken with the family. As it turned out my father worried about this greatly and it caused him much heart ache and suffering. You see, my father had had open heart surgery not long before Stephen's death, so to have him suddenly gone was especially hard on my father. This heart break, I believe, contributed to my father's heart failure in less than two months of Stephen's sudden death. So me and my family experienced two deaths in less than 60 days! I sometimes wonder if that truck driver had come forward and expressed remorse and appologized, if it may have releived some of the hurt and heart break that my father would not have died on that winter night just after Christmas?
It was suggested from the truck driver's account, that Stephen committed suicide. If so, he certainly was not in his right state of mind at the time. In fact Stephen was acting quite odd the night before his death. He was seeing auoras seemed excited about a girl he met down at the JSU campus. I thought he was just falling in love for her and that that was why he was acting a bit hyper. But I was so in shock when I learned about Stephen's death that I did not know what to do or think. However, I certainly did not believe for a moment that he committed suicide. He had too much to live for and his sketch books were full of lists of projects he wanted to work on. So whatever happened to Stephen seemed quite a mystery to me. What every happened to Stephen, it was not suicide.
I decided to track down the girl Stephen had met and found her to be a very adorable young woman. She was genuinly shocked to learn about Stephen's death. She told me that Stephen had come over to her dorm asking about her but she was not in. Then it is believed he went to wait for her at the Student Union, where he liked to sit, drink coffee, chat with people and draw. I became good friends with the girl Stephen had gone to see, and even went home with her to meet her parents in Huntsville. Stephen always had a nack for picking out most adoring women. This girl sure would have made a nice girlfriend but, alais, he never had the opportunity to know her most intimately, for his life ended before they could even have a first date.
Some weeks after Stephen's death I was told by Jeff Wilkerson that he had given Stephen window pain acid, a form of LSD, on Halloween. If this confession is true Mr. Wilkerson may bare responsibility for Stephen's death. I know for sure is that Stephen would not have killed himself in a normal state of consciousness for he believed his paintings to be great and that he had a destiny to share his rag dolls and toys, his images out of the darkness with the world. Moreover, because Stephen had just met a girl whom he was falling in love with, he would have never committed suicide on that particular day. Hence I have come to believe that the acid Mr. Wilkerson gave Stephen resulted in a very bad trip, one that was directly responsible for his loss of rational thought and his subsequent death.
 Christmas Tree Toys Oil on canvas |
Is Mr. Wilkerson a murderer? I do not know. Wilkerson was never arrested nor tried for this alleged crime. He certainly did not step forward and tell his story to police. At the time Wilkerson told me of his involvement I was still in a state of shock over Stephen's death. And not really knowing how drastically window pain acid could alter one's preception, good judgement and rational mental processes through the causing of hallucinations and distortion or reality, I did not understand or appreciate the significance of Wilkerson's drug dealing actions. Plus I was concerned that any scandle surrounding Stephen's death would hurt the family. So I shared this information only with Stephen's personal friends. But now I feel it is time to share it with the world because people must know drugs like LSD can kill and drug dealers who provide illegal substances which result in someone's death are responsible in whole or part for that death.
When Wilkerson first told me about giving Stephen window pain acid I did not know if I should believe him. But then I recalled Stephen's behavior. Stephen was seeing auroas on the Halloween evening before his death. He also drew pictures of these in his journal and asked me, "Who are you?" It was a very strange question coming from my brother. He was asking who I was in a metaphysical sense... proof positive that Stephen was in an altered state of consciousness and had taken the LSD Wilkerson had provided. His last painting was of a Christ like image crucified, surrounded by an auroa of white light. Had I only known Stephen was tripping at the time, I'd never have let him wonder away from home alone to die on a desolate country road, his life and mind blown away by acid and a Mac truck, the images to stop forever.
 Collage of Dream Images Oil on canvas |
Did Stephen kill himself or was he killed as a result of flipping out and losing his mind due to the drugs Jeff Wilkerson gave him? All I know for sure is that Stephen would not have killed himself in a normal state of consciousness. He left a list of things he wanted to do, places he wanted to go, people he wanted to visit in his journal. This does not seem the actions of one planning to commit suicide. But some of actions seemed bizarre and in hine sight were probably the ponderings of a mind tripping on acid.
Should Jeff Wilkerson be arrested for Stephen's murder, or at least for second degree murder, given is drug dealing led to Stephen's death? All I know for sure is that Stephen is dead and that there is no statue of limitations for murder. This burden should never have been placed upon my back nor have been given to family and friends. It is a matter for the State of Alabama to decide. Should the State of Alabama ever wish to pursue justice in this matter, I will not object.
My reason for publishing this page is not to bring Mr. Wilkerson to justice, but to simply set forth the facts. Stephen's death was a great loss to his family and to all those who loved him. The only compensation received was a trifle $10,000.00 from the insurance company covering the trucking company. But perhaps the greatest loss was to the world -- for Stephen was a very gifted and talented artist and illustrator. In his memory I have established this page so that some part of Stephen may live forever and be shared with humanity... that his images and the art he so loved may not be lost... that out of the darkness of his death may come some light and love... be it in our dreams or a spark of inspiration which brings others to see their mystic lover.
 Mystic Lover Oil on canvas |
Over time I hope to post more of Stephen's art and writings. These are his gift to the world. I may also use this as a forum to help educate people about art, art therapy and the hurt and harm which may come through drug abuse. Anyone wanting to contribute to this effort is welcome to help.
Buy adorable "I Love Stephen" gifts and apparel for that special Stephen in your life.
