John James Flannagan Jr.

November 12, 1946 - February 8, 2022

On February 8, 2022, John James Flannagan Jr (“Jack’) began his journey to heaven after a long, 11-year, valiant battle with cancer. He leaves behind an amazing family who just won’t quite be the same without him. He was 75 years old. He is preceded in death by his parents, John James Flannagan Sr, Helen (Doyle) Flannagan, and his younger brother, Peter Thomas Flannagan, along with many of his beloved aunts and uncles. He is survived by his incredible bride, Maria Luisa (Marilou) Gramonte Flannagan and their four children: John James Flannagan III (Karen Ouellette), Brian Timothy Flannagan, Kathleen Marie Flannagan and Christine Anne Flannagan (Erik Shaffer); his sister Mary Elizabeth Flannagan (Edmond Dandeneau), nieces Sheila Dandeneau (Shawn Roush) and Sharon Dandeneau (Jack Cook); and a few generations of loving cousins. He leaves behind five beautiful grandchildren: John James Flannagan IV, Kylee Rose Flannagan, Ruby Luisa Flannagan, Avery Elizabeth Antol and Olivia Rae Shaffer, not to mention those whomever had the pleasure and honor of meeting him. Jack was born at St. Thomas Hospital in North Providence, RI on November 12, 1946. After graduating from LaSalle Academy in Providence RI, Jack went on to honorably serve his country in the United States Navy, April 1966. A few short years later, his duties took him to Subic Bay, Philippines, where he met “the true love of his life,” his bride whom he would spend the next 52 years with. After spending 30 years in service to the US Navy, CWO4 Flannagan retired in Jacksonville, FL (1996) with an incredible retirement ceremony and speech, to boot. With not a dry eye in the house, this proud veteran spoke of his undying love for his country, for his fellow sailors, and for his proud family and faith. He then decided to commit another 20 years of his life working for the Navy. As a contractor, he worked on Naval Station Mayport as a supplier of every and all materials to the ships, buildings, offices etc. that were settled on the base. He loved that job with all his heart and completely adored the friends he worked with there. In his spare time (when not being a doting husband and father), this same man would often sign up to be a little-league umpire, or league-basketball referee. An avid sports fan, Jack especially loved all things baseball, but particularly The New York Yankees. “The Mick,” as he affectionately called Mickey Mantle, was his childhood hero. He’d love to show off the newspaper clippings he kept over the years, even until the most recent days. He’d watch play-off games, championships, multiple World Series he’s seen before (and already knew the outcome), just because he enjoyed those memories so much. He loved the mind-boggling contest of golf, and he worked on his game often, as much as he could. He shared many golf-outings with his children which he found delightful, every single time. It’s hard to say what his absolute favorite thing would have been, but it’s safe to say that hanging out and being with his kids in any sports capacity was among the tops. He enjoyed rooting for The NY Yankees, Providence College basketball, Notre Dame anything, the Detroit Lions (no one understands why), and he would watch the Little League World Series every single year with complete and utter joy. He thought M.A.S.H, Cheers, St. Elsewhere, Friends, and Frasier were some of the best shows on TV, and he completely praised the mini-series Lonesome Dove. Any war documentary, or movie, would entrance him in ways that were both inspiring and devastating. His compassion for those in the military goes unmatched. Also, he was a huge fan of the Minions, known for their Despicable Me movie series. Jack was also a loyal fan of the show Jeopardy! and encouraged everyone to “Get Smart” while they could. A trivia die-hard, he blew many away with his random answers and out-of-nowhere, absolute correctness. He enjoyed questioning anyone and was always so gracious and forgiving if you answered incorrectly. He loved to nurture, teach, lead… he always took a moment to set you straight. Jack Flannagan was a man of specific tastes, no doubt. A fairly picky eater, he was not picky about the type of music he enjoyed. He listened to everything from Sinatra, Nat King Cole, to Streisand, to the Stones or the Beatles, to ABBA, to Meatloaf, or even Yanni. He (and his wife) also imposed this music on his children, whether they liked it or not. It was a broad range of songs, but those are memories that his family will never forget, and will now, appreciate always. He and his wife have been complete servants of the Roman Catholic Church, attending daily masses and every single holiday, insisting to all who will listen that “The Lord hears you, all you have to do is believe and pray.” Their faith, both together, and in each other, is nothing short of respectable and admirable. They were each other’s best friend, each other’s rock, and each other’s partner in every sense of the word. As a father, Jack Flannagan was both the toughest, and gentlest soul. He demanded the best, and if it wasn’t there, he hugged tight and encouraged to dig deep and then find the best. “It’s always more fun when you win.” And if that didn’t happen, he swore he’d love you anyways, no matter what. He led by example, and he practiced what he preached. He was the kind of man who, nearly always, would stop the car for a person begging on the corner, and he’d give whatever snacks and spare change he had available and say “God bless you.” Jack had a sharp wit and clever humor, and always had a sparkle in his eye (much like his mother and sister, Mary). There was hardly ever a time where he wasn’t offering a smile, or a hug. If he wasn’t, he certainly was making others smile with his silly jokes and off-beat whims. He had the most fun handling telemarketing phone calls to his house. His kindness and generosity, and his way of making any situation comfortable, will certainly be missed. He was quite possibly, one of the most genuine people anyone could ever meet. He was truly a special gentleman. Loved by all. Will be greatly missed by so, so many. There will be a viewing from 5pm-7pm on Tuesday, February 15th at Corey-Kerlin Funeral Home - 940 Cesery Blvd. Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.. Wednesday, February 16th at 11am - 11665 Fort Caroline Road Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4, Jack Flannagan will be honorably laid to rest at Jacksonville National Cemetery - Wednesday, February 16th at 2pm - 4083 Lannie Road