Obituary | Tributes flow for Robin Lynam, Hong Kong journalist, ‘real gentleman’ and a man with no ego
- Known for his encyclopedic knowledge of rock and jazz music, Lynam wrote widely about that as well as whisky, wine and gourmet food for the Post among others
- A resident of Hong Kong for 40 years, he died after a long illness and is remembered by friends and colleagues for his great intelligence, wit and kindness
Speak to anybody who knew journalist Robin Lynam well and they would extol his in-depth knowledge of fine wine, malt whisky and gourmet food and his encyclopedic fund of arcane information on rock and jazz music. But most of all, they would cite his unfailing kindness, instinctive courtesy, incisive wit and keen intellect.
Lynam, who died on February 20 after a long and stoic battle with illness, was a consummate professional who arrived in Hong Kong in the early 1980s and embarked on a long career of filing elegantly written and informative features for the Post and other publications.
He did his research thoroughly: in the vineyards of Barossa and Bordeaux, the whisky distilleries of Scotland and the fine-dining restaurants of Hong Kong.
Music was a personal and professional passion: he wrote extensively on jazz and rock and played guitar with various Hong Kong bands. Pick any musical genre or artist and Lynam would give an eloquent and informed view, possibly leaning towards the polemical end of the opinion spectrum.
Paul Hicks, chief executive officer of public relations company GHC and one of Lynam’s oldest friends, offered this fond tribute: “How would I sum him up? A real gentleman. Delightfully old-school, and as the years passed by a little eccentric, slightly argumentative or even curmudgeonly at times, but he was always a very kind, generous and loyal friend with a strong sense of justice and fair play.
