Gruff and wry, longtime Sun Sentinel reporter and editor Ray Lynch straddled the eras of old-school, bare-knuckled journalism and flashy, rapid-fire Internet news.

Scarcely more than a year after retiring, Lynch died early Friday of cancer at a Fort Lauderdale hospice. He was 65.

Lynch was born on Chicago's South Side and was raised in the Miami area. After a stint in the Army, he graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in journalism and joined the Orlando Sentinel as a reporter in 1975.

He later moved to the Miami News, then in 1986 to the Sun Sentinel, working as a reporter and assistant city editor.

Lynch was known for a deft touch at writing obituaries, crafting compelling pieces about ordinary people and their lives in South Florida.

The very picture of a crusty journalist who loved hard news, Lynch once was overheard talking to a young reporter about a lighthearted feature.

``That's a cute story,'' he said. Then, after a pause, ``I hate cute stories.''

In 1998, after the creation of sunsentinel.com, Lynch became an online producer, making calls and posting stories to the Internet hours before they appeared in print. A trade publication recognized Lynch and the Sun Sentinel for becoming one of the first news outlets to break stories on the Internet.

``He was an old-time reporter who used old-fashioned skills to become a pioneer online,'' said Jack Brennan, a retired Sun Sentinel editor who worked with Lynch for 20 years.

Lynch retired in July 2008 and fell ill the following January. He is survived by four children, Kristen, Matthew, Josh and Maureen, and was predeceased by a son, Gabe, who died in a car crash several years ago.

Visitation for Lynch will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Boyd Panciera Funeral Home, 6400 Hollywood Blvd. A memorial service will follow at 7:30 p.m.