Obituary of Charlene Winifred Flynn

Charlene Winifred Flynn was born in Seattle, Washington, as the only child to Robert Flynn and Velma (Gibson) Flynn.  She attended Seattle’s Lincoln High School where, in Study Hall, she sat next to William “Bill” Flynn (no relation) due to the alphabetical seating policy. Charlene asked Bill to a dance and, before long, they were high school sweethearts.  They married when Charlene was 19 and Bill was 20, and remained a couple for 65 years until Bill’s passing in 2018. They were married in New York on a 1950s television program called “Bride and Groom.” Even to this day, all the family treasures the video of this endearing (and, in retrospect, unintentionally funny) television show.

Charlene attended the University of Washington in Seattle and worked for a time as a secretary for the Washington Education Association, but her real passion was for motherhood and family.  With the arrival of children, she and Bill moved to Olympia to raise their new family.  Charlene cared for her husband and four children with loving devotion and tireless dedication.  As the quintessential housewife, she cooked countless meals, prepared thousands of school lunches, vacuumed miles of carpet, washed mountains of laundry, bandaged many a scraped knee, and attended dozens of school recitals and sporting events. The proof of her loving care could be found in smartly ironed shirts, fresh baked cookies, homemade Halloween costumes, mended clothing, the frequent offer of soothing advice, and a million other small gestures, all of which coalesced into a warm family home environment fondly remembered by her children.

Charlene was known for her kindness and sweet disposition.  She was a firm believer in the philosophy that if you don’t have anything nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything at all.  She managed to instill good behavior in her children, never with threats or a heavy hand, but rather through gentle persuasion, her own stellar example, and a wily application of Catholic guilt.  The loving devotion she inspired in her children is a testament to her exceptional parenting skills.  The welcome extension of her family with a son-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren only expanded the sphere of her embrace.

She was a voracious reader of mystery novels.  She also loved cats, coffee, soft pretzels, crossword puzzles, playing bridge with friends, watching detective dramas, PBS, and all things Irish. She humored Bill’s love of boating and occasionally accompanied him in cruising around Puget Sound in his various boats.  Hawaii was more to her liking though, and they vacationed there together many times over the years.  She also travelled with Bill and/or other family members to Mexico, Ireland, the Panama Canal, Alaska and Europe.  She was a long time parishioner at St. Michael Catholic Church in Olympia.

Charlene passed away February 21, 2021.  She is survived by her sons, Mark (Kim) Flynn, Blake (Deborah) Flynn, and Todd (Katherine) Flynn; daughter, Lisa (Rick) Ellis; seven grandchildren; and four great grandchildren (with another on the way!).  All are full of gratitude for her years of selfless love, the full measure of which is impossible to overstate.

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