Philip Flynn

Philip F. Flynn, beloved patriarch, died at age 93 on April 6, 2016, from complications of pneumonia. He is now reunited with his wife of 54 years, Tess, who predeceased him 16 years earlier. He will be sorely missed by his four married children and their spouses, Carol and David Pikcilingis (Acton, MA), Jayne and John Mullen (Alamo, CA), Sally and Kevin Caddle (Duxbury, MA), and Peter and Maxine Flynn (Lafayette, LA), his grandchildren; Sarah Pikcilingis, Aaron Pikcilingis, Arlene Flynn, Melissa Caddle, Sean Mullen, Lindsay LaPointe, Allison Shue, Emily Hubert, and Dave Flynn, and 8 great-grandchildren; Eloise, Jonathan, Milo, Orion, Braeden, Adelene, Connor, and Quinn.
Phil truly represented the best of America’s greatest generation. Born the youngest of six children to Mary and Philip Flynn in South Weymouth, he jumped directly from high school to serving his country, becoming an under-age, multi-decorated B-17 ball turret gunner and completing 17 missions over Germany before being shot down over Belgium. Post VE Day, he returned home, married his one true love, Tess, then started and ran a food distributorship business for more than 30 years. They raised their four children and ran the business in Westboro, MA.
Phil avidly followed all sports (as long as the team’s name started with “Boston”), loved reading the Boston Globe daily and spending summers with his family at the beaches of Maine and Massachusetts and warm winters in California. But many of his most favorite hours were spent with a golf club in his hands, proficiency with which netted him 3 lifetime holes-in-one and multiple club championship trophies.
But the “game” Phil played best was “life”. He didn’t build great treasure, create masterful works of art, cure major illness or become famous in any way. Except he did. Not Boston Globe famous; family and friend famous. Phil exemplified that “nice” guys can actually finish first. (Look up “nice” in the dictionary; his picture is there!) From the first time he wrapped his massive hand around yours in a handshake, he smiled at you (he ALWAYS smiled at you) and from that time thereafter, you knew you had a friend, someone you could depend on. Phil’s gift - what he took with him when he left but also left behind for all of us to remember, enjoy and use forever - was the example he set. Hero, husband, Dad, GeePaw, friend. We will truly miss you, Phil!
Friends and family are invited to a memorial service at 11 AM, on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at the Duxbury Unitarian Universalist Church, 842 Tremont St, (3A), Duxbury, MA. 02332. A private burial will be held at 1PM on Thursday, April 14th at the Bourne National Veterans’ Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the scholarship fund at either the Acton Barn Cooperative Preschool, 32 Nagog Park, Acton MA. 01720 or the Berrybook School, 267 Winter Street, Duxbury, Ma. 02332.
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