Forest Lanes owner and Cumberland Valley Cruise-In founder D.L. Lynch dies Monday at age 77

Active and popular Corbin businessman Delmar “D.L.” Lynch died Monday in Lexington after a long battle with numerous health problems. He was 77-years-old.

Lynch was best known to many as owner and operator of Forest Bowling Lanes where he could be found regularly for 53 years. The lanes closed last year. Lynch, along with his brothers Dennis and Dale, now all deceased, owned Forest Hills Shopping Center that included the lanes, various specialty stores, and Kroger.

“I met my wife at that bowling alley,” said Bill Crook, a close friend of Lynch’s, who was a regular during lunch times at Forest Lanes.

“I remember when my son was little, we’d put him at a table there while we would go bowl or whatever. It was a great place,” Crook added. “D.L. was a good man and a good friend. I’m going to miss him.”

Lynch was an outspoken advocate for tourism in Corbin, and successfully lured the Kentucky Women’s Amateur Bowling Tournament to Corbin on at least two occasions.

Lynch had a passion for vintage vehicles and was one of the founders of the Cumberland Valley Cruise-In car show, which is now held five times annually — three times in downtown Corbin and twice at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

“He supported a lot of things in town,” said Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney. “He did love vintage cars and he loved organizing that car show. He was a big part of that.”

The cruise, which started in 2001, has steadily grown over the years with Lynch as an invaluable organizer and supporter.

“D.L. was not a man who sought praise, but rather was a humble community servant,” said Terry Skinner, and fellow founder of the Cumberland Valley Cruise-In and a close personal friend of Lynch’s.

“He was instrumental in the development and growth of the Cumberland Valley Cruise-In.”

Lynch was a 1960 graduate of Corbin High School and was very active in the community outside of his own business interests. He was past Master and Mason at the Hugh Harris Masonic Lodge #938 in Corbin, a member of the Corbin Redhound Varsity Club and the Varsity Club’s Hall of Fame, a past member of the Corbin Planning and Zoning Commission and a member of Central Baptist Church.

McBurney said he learned that Lynch was being hospitalized in Lexington last week and was somewhat surprised by the news.

“I kind of thought he was on the mend,” McBurney said. “It kind of shocked me when he told me he was going back into the hospital. He’s going to be missed, that’s for sure.”

“He was known by a lot of people because of him being at the bowling alley and all the leagues there. You could go anywhere with him and he’d run into somebody he knew.”

Lynch died at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

His funeral arrangements are being handled by O’Neil-Lawson Funeral Home in Corbin.

Visitation for Lynch will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Friday, with funeral at 2:00 p.m. He will be laid to rest at Cumberland Memorial Gardens in Lily.

For a full obituary, go to: www.oneilfh.com.