Rev. Richard Flynn

Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 2:54 pm

The Messenger, January 17, 2012
The Rev. Richard Michael Flynn, 67, of Natchitoches, La., a former resident of Union City, passed away at his home Jan. 15, 2012, following a long illness. 
A mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m.  Wednesday at Trinity Episcopal Church in Natchitoches. The family will receive friends 5-7 p.m.
The Flynn family would like contributions to be made to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund, in care of Trinity Episcopal Church, 533 Second St., Natchitoches, LA 71457; or to American Lung Association, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20004.
He was born April 4, 1944, in Memphis, son of the late Helen (Brown) and Thomas Theodore Flynn Jr. He grew up in Tennessee, New Mexico and California and received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of the South and a master of arts degree in English from the former Memphis State University. His master of divinity degree was earned from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.
He had taught at the former Columbia Military Academy for a year and in the Memphis public school system for seven years prior to seeking his theological degree. He was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1979 and served parishes in Knoxville, Brownsville, Ripley and Union City. He served as rector for Trinity Episcopal Church in Natchitoches from 1998-2004. 
He also served as a prison minister in Tennessee, chaplain for the Tennessee Highway Patrol and a trustee for the University of the South, prior to his move to Louisiana. He was a member of the Rotary Club for 27 years.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 45 years, Janet (Potts) Flynn; two daughters and sons-in-law, Kelly (Flynn) and Owen Hines and Jennifer (Flynn) and Chris Galey; his son, Thomas Bradford Flynn; two grandsons, Aidan Hines and Tucker Hines; his granddaughter, Addison Galey; his brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Thomas B. and Linda Flynn; his sister, Cela Spencer; two nephews, Sean Flynn and Rhys Flynn; his niece, Heidi (Flynn) Barnett; and his sister-in-law, D’Ann E. Potts.