Rita Flynn

Rita R. Flynn, age 77, of Coon Rapids passed away on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at Thomas Rest Haven in Coon Rapids. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, November 15, 2015 at Annunciation Catholic Church in Coon Rapids with her great nephew Fr. Jeremy Wind celebrating. Visitation will be from 8:30 A.M. until the time of Mass at Annunciation Church, with a Rosary at 9:00 A.M. Lector for the Mass will be Sue Wind. Eucharistic minister will be Marilyn Tilley. Gift bearers will be Jane Whitlock and Rita O’Bryan. Music will be by the Annunciation choir with Faye Seidl as organist, Nate Hettinger as soloist, and Eugene Potter as trumpeter. Mass servers will be Abby and Sydney Koch. Casket bearers will be Carolyn Rothschild, David Slate, Patricia Bunte, Pat O’Bryan, Deb Linquist, Ken Hettinger, Sharie Schurman, Beth Slaven, and Todd Flynn. Burial will be in the Union Township Cemetery near Coon Rapids. The family suggests memorials be made to Annunciation Catholic Church, the Coon Rapids Educational Foundation, or Trinity Heights in Sioux City. Born on June 14, 1937 in Le Mars, she was the daughter of John and Cecilia Ahmann Flynn. She grew up in the Le Mars and Sioux City areas. She acquired her MA degree in 1974 from Loyola University in Chicago and her MAT in 1990 from Morningside College in Sioux City. From 1957 to 1977 she taught regular education classes in the Catholic School system in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri. From 1977 to 1987 she worked for the now defunct K-Products of Orange City. The motto, “To teach is to touch a life forever,” inspired Rita to return to teaching in 1987. At that time, she accepted a job as a special educator for the students in the Coon Rapids – Bayard school system. From 1987 to 1997 she taught the high school students who were struggling with reading, English and math. From 1997 to 2007 she worked with the junior high level students doing essentially the same thing. One of her greatest joys was observing former students now living productive lives. Rita was a member of Annunciation Catholic Church, the Iowa State Education Society, the Retired Teachers of Iowa and the American Cancer Society. Her interests were reading, writing, swimming, traveling, working on genealogy, keeping up on Facebook, and spending time with family and friends. Rita was preceded in death by her parents, John and Cecilia Ahmann Flynn of Sioux City; a brother Robert Flynn (Shirley) of Pocahontas; sisters: Mary Flynn Slate (William) of Waukee, Cecile Flynn Hare (Vernon) of Des Moines, Carol Flynn Hettinger (Wayne) of Atlantic, Darlene Flynn Jacobson (Robert) of Stuart, FL, Norma Flynn Tague (Al) of Sioux City, and a brother-in-law William O’Bryan of Jefferson. Surviving are her brothers: James Flynn (Kathy) of Pleasant Hill, Thomas Flynn (Tamara) of Spirit Lake; and her sister Kathleen Flynn O’Bryan of Jefferson.