Terry Lynch

Terry Lynch, 49, was going to be promoted this week, and his colleagues aren’t even sure that he knew about it. “The package about his promotion had just moved up to the next level,” Doria said. “He was a rising star.”

He had been with the company two years, having worked more than 15 years for Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.). “His life should not have ended in this unfortunate and premature manner,” Shelby said in a statement.

Lynch was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and grew up the son of a steel factory administrator. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history at Youngstown State University, where he met his future wife, Jackie. They were married in 1977.

He began his Capitol Hill career working as an aide for former Rep. Albert Lee Smith (R-Ala.), and joined Shelby’s staff in 1983 as a legislative assistant for military affairs.

“He worked closely with the military personnel and the defense industry in Alabama, dutifully representing their concerns,” Shelby said. “Terry’s passion for helping others, especially the men and women in uniform . . . was always evident over the course of his career.”

Shelby said Lynch led efforts on his staff to understand and deal with the Persian Gulf War syndrome, and was instrumental in efforts to relocate the Aviation and Troop Command from St. Louis to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., bringing 2,000 jobs to the area. He also helped draft legislation establishing a National Institutes of Health research program on juvenile rheumatic diseases.

He made the transition from the Hill to Booz Allen with ease, Doria said, adding: “He was one of these really hard-working, dependable people who can operate in multiple environments.”