Yvette Holloway Lynch

Obituary For Yvette Holloway Lynch

Mrs. Yvette Holloway Lynch, daughter of the late Clifford A. Holloway and Alfanette Kelley Holloway, was born on December 10, 1949 in Jackson, MS. For 74 years, she lived a Christian life as a teacher, counselor, mentor, and friend. Family, friends, and colleagues bore witness to her professional commitment to education, and her personal nurturing and giving spirit.

She was baptized at five years old at Christ Temple Church of Christ (Holiness U.S.A.) in Jackson, MS. A product of a musically inclined extended family she sang her first solo as an eight-year-old in the Christ Temple children’s choir. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she, sister Alexandria, cousins Roslyn, Beverly, Carmelia, and director Aunt Aretta, were invited to sing as a group at local churches. As a group, they were called “The Cousinettes & Aunt Rett.” Among their signature songs were “Oh How I Love Jesus,” and “We’ve Come this Far by Faith.”

Yvette graduated from Jim Hill High School in 1967. She graduated from Grambling State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1971, and then from Jackson State University with a Master of Science in Education and Counseling.

She began her professional career as a Counselor for the Upward Bound Program at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). At MVSU, she met her husband, Charlie Lynch, while he visited his sister, Lovie who also worked at the University. The married couple moved to Oxford, MS where she was hired as a Counselor for the Learning Development Center at the University of Mississippi, advising and organizing tutoring for students.

Mrs. Lynch’s career in the Oxford Public School System began in 1978 when she taught 9th grade Mississippi History & Civics at Oxford Junior High School. As a teacher, students would describe her as straight forward, passionate about learning, and dedicated to her craft. She also had an innate ability to tap into her students’ curiosity by not only teaching from the “book,” but addressing important issues that the “book” left out. One of her favorite students, Chenille Jenkins, would become her future Daughter-in-Love.

While in Oxford, Yvette was a faithful member of Second Missionary Baptist Church, serving on various committees and as a devoted member of the choir. She was known for her more memorable solos including “ Changed,” “Going Up Yonder,” and “Safe in His Arms.”

In 1995, and upon moving to Greenville, MS, Mrs. Lynch became the Guidance Counselor for T.L. Weston High School. There, she leaned into her passion for student success, and experience as a practitioner in higher education to help students accomplish their goal of getting to the college of their choosing. She was also a confidant to many of her students. Many of whom still affectionately call her “Mama.”

After more than 25 years of nurturing young minds through the education system in Mississippi, Mrs. Lynch decided to retire. For an encore, she joined the Memphis City School System as a Guidance Counselor at Wooddale High School. There, she carved a new chapter in her life’s purpose - helping students create personalized pathways to college and careers after high school. She retired from the Memphis City School System in 2013.

For Mrs. Lynch, education was more of a calling than a career. She served every school and institution at which she worked, along with her colleagues, her students, and their parents with a vigor and passion that was palpable. She was a regular at every home AND away sporting event – often serving as chaperone for team and/or spectator buses. She also remained in close contact with many of the students whose lives she impacted.

In retirement, Yvette spent valuable time with the people who loved her the most, her family and friends. She enjoyed grandparent days and school pick-ups with her grandchildren, Sunday dinners with her family, traveling with her sister, cousins, and long-time friend, Francis Howell, and celebrating the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren.

On Sunday morning, January 14, 2024, in a room full of love and surrounded by her family, God peacefully called Yvette home.

There to receive her on that distant shore include: her beloved husband, Mr. Charlie C. Lynch, and her cherished parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Holloway. Here to cherish her memory and keep her legacy alive are two sons, Mr. Camod C. Lynch (Chenille) of Memphis, TN, and Dr. Creston C. Lynch of Washington, D.C.; bonus-daughter, Dr. Angela Whitelaw (Dextric) of Olive Branch, MS; sister, Dr. Alexandria Holloway of Miami, FL; sister-in-law, Ms. Lovie Lynch of Memphis, TN; grandchildren, Camod C. Lynch II, Cameron C. Lynch, Corbin C. Lynch, and Sydney Lynch of Memphis, TN, and Maya Whitelaw of Houston, TX; aunts, Ms. Aretta K. Smith, and Ms. Mildred Kelley of Jackson, MS; and a host of cousins, other relatives, and loyal friends.

Visitation Friday, January 19, 2024 at M.J. Edwards Funeral Home, 5494 Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis, TN 38116 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m

Visitation Saturday, January 20, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., Brown M.B. Church in Southaven, MS.

Funeral services Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 11:00 a.m., Brown M.B. Church, 980 Stateline Road E., Southaven, MS 38671. The burial Monday, January 22, 2024 at 1:00 p.m., Garden Memorial Park, 8001 Highway 49, Jackson, MS 39209.