My Dad

August 1919 - February 2007

As you can imagine, it was impossible for Jeff or me to give Dad's eulogy, though we wanted to.  That's when our beloved "Loony" Tricia offered.  We can't thank her enough for putting our thoughts and memories into this beautiful eulogy for Dad. 

Love you "T1"

To those of you who don’t know me, I’m Tricia Umstead, or as Ed called me, Myrtle, Jim’s wife. My husband’s name is Kenny. We are part of the infamous “Lee Road Loonies”, which Trish says is her, Jeff & Ed’s extended family. We thank you for that. Delivering a eulogy is not easy because it means you have to say good-bye to someone you love. This can be a very sad time since this person will be missed by so many. But this person is Ed Flynn. Ed Flynn. His very name sounds like a good time, doesn’t it? And we all know that was what he was about….a good time. Therefore, we will not mourn the loss of his company, instead, we will celebrate his life and all the joy he brought to those that knew him. For me, that time was all too short. We met only after his stroke, but the true essence of this humorous, fun loving man shone through none the less. He may have had difficulty expressing words or meanings but his facial expressions spoke volumes. Those were crystal clear, especially when we would all gather at Trish & Jeff’s for a night of Poker. Ed would sit himself at the head of the table, stack his chips and anxiously await his cards, Fortissimo at his side. He kept a watchful eye on all of us and if your glass was not filled to the top, he would “command” Trish to fill us up! At times, he seemed all to ready to throw in his chips, so Jeff would sit beside him to check his cards and when Jeff would inform him that he really didn’t want to bet on this hand, Ed would get this wry smile on his face as he watched Jeff fold for him. You just knew he was having fun with Jeff, testing him to see if he would save him from a foolish bet. I think he knew exactly what he was doing….being Ed Flynn….ever the jokester! He had his quiet times, too, like the time Jeff & Trish were away and Kenny went over to watch the Baseball game with Ed. He was so excited to have company to watch with. A couple of hours later, Ed yelled to Kenny, “Hey Jim, I think we fell asleep!” Needless to say, the game was over! He was a very special man, loved by all who knew him.

Trish and Jeff have shared their thoughts and sentiments with me and I hope my words can do them justice. First, from Jeff….

I would like to thank all the family and friends for being here today to celebrate the life of an awesome man, Eddie Flynn. If you knew Ed, or he touched your life in any way, I know you are a much richer person. Some of the many people here today owe a lot to Ed and I am one of them. We often hear the words Roll Model and Mentor, well Ed was both to me. He had it all, a beautiful wife Alice, son Tom, a daughter - my wonderful wife, Trish, two lovely grand-daughters, Jen and Wendy and their Mother Judy who remains a big part of our family. But most of all, Ed had friends, and that’s where he shined. For many years, we would go fishing with his friend Henry Sherrin and the gang up at Rangley Maine and this was the highlight of the year for Ed. He could not wait to get into that old cabin at the Russell’s Campground so he could be with the boys. All the kids would hear the same stories year after year. It seemed to be a magical place that turned grown men into 15 year-old boys. Although he made us call him “Salmon Ed”, I knew he was not there for the fish. He was there to be with all of us and I loved it. One of my proudest days was when Ed received his High School diploma. He wasn’t 18, he was 82. Until I read the American Legion Newsletter, I never knew about Medford’s young men that left High School to join the service. Right away, I called and asked them to add Ed to the list of Vets to receive their diplomas. He was not happy but agreed to attend the Memorial Day Ceremony. Everyone was there, from the Mayor to the local News media, and of course all of us who loved Ed the most. Being his daughter, Trish was supposed to present Ed with his diploma but she asked me to do it. I was honored. Sons, daughters and even some grandchildren presented the diplomas with a simple handshake or pat on the back. Not Ed. When we went up, I handed him his diploma and he hugged the breath out of me. As the crowd applauded, I could see a tear in his eye. I have a million memories to last my lifetime and could go on forever about the adventures we had and the love I had for Ed. I would not be half the man I am today without the direction and love I always felt from Ed and Alice. I will have them in my heart until the day I take my last breath.

Now, from Trish….

Where do I start, Dad? Do I talk about how you would tease me from as far back as I remember, then give me your famous ’wink’? Or maybe how we would go to the Car Wash on Saturdays, or the time you took us fishing and sprained your ankle getting the bait. You were in such pain but took us fishing anyway and by the time we were finished, your ankle was twice it’s normal size! How about the way you protected me….you would drill every date I ever had to the point that I thought no one would have the courage to marry me! Then as we would try to get out the door, you would make me “give you a little kiss” before I left. Oh Dad, with your great Bear Hugs and Monkey Bites, you were one in a million. One of the best moments in my life was after you had your stroke and you were unaware for so long as I sat by your side. You finally opened your eyes, looked at me and said, ”Hi Darlin’”. Wow, you really knew how to get to me. I know we didn’t always see eye to eye, but that was because we were so much alike. After all, you taught me so much, especially how to laugh and count my blessings, and two of the biggest were you and Mom. I was always so proud when my friends would say that they wished their Dads were like mine. Remember New Year’s Eve of the millennium? Jeff had to work, so I cooked a seafood dinner for us and then we talked for 5 hours. What a night that was. I hope you know how much that meant to me, and I hope I made you proud. I know you loved me. And I know how much you loved Jeff. You didn’t just accept him as a son-in-law, you loved him like a son. At times I felt you were even closer to him than me, but that was just fine. It made me so happy to see the two of you so close. Mom always said that I would marry someone just like my father and I guess I did, which was ok because you were my hero, Dad. I couldn’t have made a better choice. You were always there for me and I never feared a thing because my Dad would be there to help me. Well, now you have gone but my comfort is that you are with Mom, your beloved Allie. I will miss you but I’m sure she’s been waiting for you and now she has you back. Yes, I know Dad, enough with all this. It’s time to celebrate and that we will. We will go home, raise our glasses and toast the man that brought so much joy to so many people. We will laugh at things you did and thank God for letting you into our lives

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