Martin Flynn

Leo Martin Flynn was a driven, intelligent professional who had a successful and accomplished career. Martin found even greater success in his family life, as his dedication to his wife and seven wonderful children was evident in all he did for them. Their lifetime connections to one another stand as proof of his success in creating a loving and nurturing family.

Born in 1930, Martin was raised during a difficult time for Americans. The Great Depression began in 1929 and most Americans were suffering huge financial loss. These were hard times for the Flynn family as they struggled to get by. Martin's parents were of Irish descent and they lived among other Irish families on Bishop Street on the south side of Chicago . His father was a printer of financial documents. His mother stayed home to raise Martin and his three older siblings in a Catholic home. He attended St. Sabina's School and then Leo High School , graduating in 1947.

Even as a child, Martin was very active. In high school, Martin was an all-city football player and he played the clarinet. On a football scholarship, Martin attended the University of Michigan where he received degrees in mathematics and chemical engineering. While in college, he met the beautiful Martha Rennie on a blind date. He was a Beta Theta Pi fraternity man and she was a Gamma Phi Beta sorority girl who was majoring in art. It was love at first sight! They fell deeply in love and were joined in marriage on October 19, 1951, the year Martin graduated from U of M.

Martin was driven to pursue his law degree and continued his education at Georgetown Law School where he completed studies in patent law. He and Martha found a small apartment in Washington, D.C. to live in while Martin finished his education. While in school, Martin worked as a patent examiner for the US Patent Office and then graduated from law school in 1953. He found work in Kalamazoo where he partnered with Ray Blanchard and Robert Woodhams. Their office was in the State Theater building, and Martin and Martha lived in an apartment on John Street during his first year there. Their new home was close enough for Martin to come home on his lunch hour to help feed, change and help get their three babies ready for naps. Because of their quickly growing family they moved, in 1955, to 912 Westfall Street .

Within the first three years of marriage they had three boys. In 1959, Martin and Martha were welcoming their fifth boy into the family and they knew their house would not be big enough for many more children. In 1961, they moved to a home at 2011 Waite Avenue , where they lived for the next thirty years. Martin and Martha raised seven children, the last two children were twins, born in 1963, and Martin finally got a little girl. There were years that Martin seemed to live without sleep, but it didn't seem to slow him down.

Martin's children were a significant part of who he was. Although he wasn't a real joiner of clubs, he stayed involved in his children's lives and became a scout master. He was also active in their Little League games and looked forward to spending time with them while attending their high school football games. Martin was a member of the Catholic Athletic Association. He raised his children in the Catholic church and most of them attended parochial school.

In 1965, he took his three oldest sons to the New York World's Fair in their VW Microbus. After the fair they traveled on to Washington, D.C. to visit friends. That was the first of several family vacations. Martin also took the family on two-week trips to Omena, north of Traverse City , where Martha's family owned a big house on the bay. They enjoyed day trips to the light house, going to the movies, fishing for trout, swimming and boat rides. The family also went to an Arizona dude ranch where they created many fond memories.

In 1966, Martin was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer but with aggressive cobalt radiation his tumor went into remission and never returned. Martin was always physically active and he knew that staying active would be the key to his survival. Martin jogged regularly and played tennis at West Hills Tennis Club. He also walked to work on nice days to his office on Rambling Road .

At the law firm, Martin was a consummate professional, with clients worldwide. A special focus of his work involved patenting polymers developed by Japanese clients. For the last ten years of his working life, he was senior partner at Flynn, Thiel, Boutell &Tanis P.C., leaving it on a solid footing upon his retirement in 1990.

As a retiree, Martin, along with Martha, traveled more and visited many places, like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, France, Mexico, and Canada to name a few. He also took a special trip to Vermont where the Flynns first settled from Ireland to visit the old homestead. They enjoyed Gulf Shores, Alabama and Arizona for the winter months. In 1977, he and Martha bought a place on Lake Michigan near Saugatuck where they spent the weekends during the summer. After retirement they sold their Kalamazoo home and moved to the lake house permanently. Martin relaxed while taking in the peaceful setting on the lake with its glorious sunsets. He bought a telescope and enjoyed looking over the water at the boats passing by. Martin also enjoyed the solitude by reading. He was an avid reader with a wonderful personal library, enjoying a broad reading base of history, political science and other intellectual topics.

Martin was a hard worker all of his life but he knew how to enjoy himself too. He loved to stay on top of the sports news and followed football, basketball and baseball. He and Martha both stayed active in the U of M Alumni Association and Martin cared deeply about his community as well. Family remained number one throughout his life and even when the children were grown, Martin and Martha always welcomed their return. Martin was very proud of all of his children and when one of his children received an advanced degree he was sure to celebrate with them. With such a large family, there was always a celebration going on and all the major holidays were spent back at home with Martin and Martha. They would also travel to see their children and visit with their beloved grandchildren.

In 1991, Martin was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Martin's drive and aggressive medical treatments ensured that the disease remained manageable for ten more years. Following Martha's death in 2000, Martin faced his loss and growing physical challenges with courage and persistence. His family offered support through his last years, visiting him whenever possible and guiding through his final transitions.

Husband, father, grandfather and friend, Martin's strength and soul will be missed by all who knew him.

L. Martin Flynn, age 75 of Kalamazoo , died June 15, 2005. He was born March 30, 1930 in Chicago, IL , the son of Leo and Margaret (McVady) Flynn. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Father's Day, Sunday at 12:00 Noon at the Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, Stadium Drive West of US-131, 375-2900. Following the service, food and fellowship will be shared at the Holiday Inn West on 11th Street .

Martin spent his professional life as a patent attorney and was a senior partner of Flynn, Thiel, Boutell & Tanis P.C., retiring in 1990. He was preceded in death by his wife, Martha; and by two sisters: Marilyn Hansen and Patricia Fairbairn. Members of Martin's family include seven children: William F. (Debbie) Flynn of Mequon, WI, M. Bradley (Mary Barr) of Plymouth, MI, Peter D. Flynn of Portage, Thomas J. Flynn of Boulder, CO, Andrew M. Flynn of Austin, TX, Patrick J. (Laurie Starr) Flynn of Granger, IN, and Margaret J. (Vishnu Ranganathan) Flynn of Champaign, IL; eight grandchildren; a brother, William (Jeanne) Flynn of Tallahassee, FL; and several nieces and nephews.

To read Martin's complete Life Story, archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make memorial contributions to the Kalamazoo Public Library or Michigan Parkinson Foundation, please visit his personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com