Austin L. Flanigan's Obituary
Austin Lee Flanigan went to be with his Lord and Savior on November 3, 2019, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 55 years, Janet, two children, Brent Flanigan, NC, and Laura O‘Connell (Brian Oppel), WA, and two grandchildren, Sequoia and Gavin, WA. He was born June 9, 1940, in Kankakee, IL, to Harold and Lavona (Austin) Flanigan. He was the eldest of four children and is survived by his siblings Susan Flanigan, NH, Barbara Carel, WI, and Kevin Flanigan (Annette), CA. He is survived by two nieces and a nephew.Austin’s commitment to kindness and helping others started early. He was active in Boy Scouts both as a youth and as an adult leader. He was proud to have earned the Life Badge and the God and Country award. Austin said the Ten Commandments and the Boy Scout oath, law, and motto were his guideposts during his youth and later years.He graduated from MacMurray College, Jacksonville, IL, in 1962 with a BS degree in Business and Economics. He was recognized in “Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities” his senior year. He joined the Air National Guard soon after graduation.Austin enjoyed a rewarding career in retail and traveled extensively to Europe and South America on buying trips. His second career was as an insurance agent. When he retired in 2005, he found time to read more newspapers, biographies, history books, Christian literature, and poetry. His first attempt at poetry was in 2009 and most of his poems are in a journal which became a ten year project.Austin focused on his family and put their interests before his own. He will be missed as a husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He was a devout Christian.A memorial service will be held at Parkway Baptist Church on Saturday, November 16, at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Parkway Baptist Church. Colossians 1:10 was a daily reminder “…that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907, 239-936-0555. Online condolences may be offered at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
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