Dr. John T. Flynn

Dr. John T. Flynn passed away at the age of 97 on January 17, 2015 at New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center, NY, NY, having been a patient at Mary Manning Walsh Nursing Home in New York City since June 2014.

He was born on November 17, 1917 in Erie, PA to Theobald and Claire Flynn.

After attending Erie Cathedral Preparatory School, he attended Fordham University, where he served as manager for the football team and its legendary “Seven Blocks of Granite”. After graduating with an A.B. from Fordham in 1937, he attended Cornell Medical University College, from which he graduated in 1942. After a one year internship in Internal Medicine, he joined the United States Army Medical Corps, serving with the 56th General Hospital as its Medical Officer in the European Theater from 1943-1945.

After being honorably discharged with the rank of Captain in 1946, he returned to New York and served a residency at Bellevue Hospital from 1946-1949, followed by a Fellowship in Internal Medicine at New York Hospital through 1951. From 1951 through 1955, he left New York for this brief period as a Research Fellow at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. When he returned to New York City, he opened a private practice in Manhattan. He left private practice in 1965 to become Chief of Medicine at Beekman Downtown Hospital. This hospital became his life’s work, where he served in varying capacities for the nearly 50 years, experiencing both attacks on the World Trade Center at close range. Although the hospital has had numerous names and ownership changes, it always remained “Beekman” to him. In 2006, the hospital honored him by naming the Department of Medicine in his honor. Dr. Flynn was also a prolific contributor to medical journals, particularly the New York State Journal of Medicine. Well into his 80s, he remained active in the field of medicine, even retaking and passing the Medical Boards to remain current.

Dr. Flynn married Mary Gene Winslow in 1946, who predeceased him on October 23, 1981. He remarried in 1987 to Dr. Solange Abunasser, who survives him.

He is survived by his children Mary Burke Babyak of Meadville, Pa, and Charles Flynn of Yuma, Az. His eldest son, John T. Flynn Jr., a Vietnam era Navy veteran, predeceased him in 2002. He is also survived by grandchildren, Brendan Flynn; Adam Flynn; Darcie Babyak; Kate Babyak; Ian Babyak; and Ceara Sazon.

Family and friends are invited to call on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, from 11-1 at Stephen P. Mizner Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc., 404 Chestnut St., Meadville.

A Graveside Service will follow at 1:30 PM at the Chapel of St. Agatha Cemetery, West Mead Twp., with Fr. Matthew Kujawinski, Pastor of St. Agatha Roman Catholic Church, officiating. Full Military Honors by VFW Post #2006 will follow.

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