Thomas A. Flynn

Obituary, Dad, Thomas A. Flynn Thomas A. Flynn, 97, known as Todd, passed peacefully on Sunday, December 8, 2024. Todd was born in Queens, New York, on June 28, 1927, son of father Albert Edward Flynn and Mother Mary Ruth Ward Flynn. He loved bowling and baseball (especially the Yankees) and talked of the days of going to a bar after a Yankees game and running into some of the famous but approachable baseball stars such as Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra celebrating their wins amongst the local fans. He enlisted in the US Navy and served in the engine room on the Battleship USS New Jersey until the end of World War II. He told stories of boxing in the Navy and being part of the ship's basketball team, the only enlisted man amongst the all-officer team. After his honorable discharge, he met his wife, Joanna R. Zalenski, and married November 17, 1956. They celebrated 68 years of marriage this year. They relocated to Old Bridge, New Jersey, where both welcomed son Thomas and daughter Jacqueline. They eventually moved to Stanhope, New Jersey, as Todd's work as a draftsman with Bell Telephone Laboratories (the research arm of AT&T) had him working in various locations in New Jersey including Murray Hill, Denville, and Cherry Hill. Todd landed a work transfer to move his family to "the Friendly City," Cavalier, North Dakota, a few miles south of the Canadian border, where he worked for Bell Labs at PARS, (Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System), an antiballistic missile site built to protect North America. It is now part of the US Space Force electronically scanned array radar system. It was in North Dakota that this man decided to learn the game of golf, a passion that continued throughout his lifetime. After the North Dakota assignment, he and the family transferred to Columbus, Ohio, and eventually to Orlando, Florida, this time with AT&T, when Todd and Joanna relocated to Kissimmee, Florida. He retired early from this position at the age of fifty-five. He continued to golf, and he and Joanna moved to Sanford, Florida, before eventually moving to West Palm Beach, Florida. His passion for golf continued and Todd was frequently on the golf course where he also volunteered as a golf ranger. He has at least two, maybe three holes in ones, including his last at the age of ninety-five. Todd is survived by his wife, Joanna Flynn, son Thomas P. Flynn (and spouse Ellen Flynn) and daughter Jacqueline J Flynn (and spouse Larry A. Beck). Todd is also survived by three granddaughters, and five great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his brother Albert. Todd will be memorialized at Palms West Funeral Home, 110 Business Park Way, Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411, on Thursday, December 19, 2024. Visitation is from 11 am until 12 noon followed by a service from noon until 1 p.m. The procession from the funeral home will follow with Navy Military Funeral Honors at South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 FL-7, Wellington, Florida, 33449, at 2 p.m.