Thomas Flanagan

Thomas Flanagan
3/24/1934 ~ 7/6/2022

Thomas Flanagan of Eureka and Ocala, Florida left this world on July 6th, 2022 after a 3 month battle with a fall, hip fracture, pneumonia and heart failure. He was met at the pearly gates of Heaven by his loving wife of 41 years, Delpha Sandralee Brownlee Flanagan (Sandy). Tom was a true Floridian native, and is survived by his daughter Debra Flanagan, and son Charles Flanagan; his 100 year old sister Doris Bustello of Jacksonville, sister Theresa Robinson of Palatka, niece Linda Robinson of Palatka, nephew Ben Parramore of Ocala, niece Joyce Moody McKee of Ocala, niece Charlene Dino of Ocala, nephew Paul Laxton of Hog Valley, nieces Imelda, June and Darlene Teuton of Palatka; and numerous other nieces, nephews and cousins. Tom was the youngest of 10 children and is preceded in death by siblings Hazel Parramore of Ocala, Marie Teuton of Palatka, Jane, Helen and Jimmy Flanagan of Pennsylvania, and Margaret and Steve Flanagan of Eureka.

Tom was raised on the Eureka family farm located on the corner of 316 and Gore's Landing Rd (150th) back in the 1930's through 50's. His sister Margaret ran the mercantile store on the corner right across the street. He attended Ft. McCoy school for all 12 grades. At 10 years old, he was asked to play Jody in the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings film "The Yearling", but his mother Olive told them "none of my kids are going to be spoiled, he needs to stay humble". Tom helped build the Eureka bridge along other male family members. He ran moonshine from Eureka to Palatka after church on Sundays in his Cadillac convertible (Boatright was the one and only town cop). He straightened up and joined the AirForce (Macdill in Tampa), serving during Vietnam as a Radio Commander, traveling to 14 different countries during his 12 years of service. Later he served 6 years in the Navy Reserves (Panama Beach) during the Gulf War. He left both branches with honorable discharges.

Tom worked at Sears & Roebuck of Tampa, then raised a family in Ocala while heading the Marion County School Board's BPI Dept as Inventory Supervisor (working with Collie and Fred). He and daughter Debra bowled every Tuesday night in the school board's bowling league. Tom enjoyed camping on weekends with the family, most often at Fore Lake, or playing pinochle at the Fiddia home in Hog Valley, right on the Oklawaha River. Every night when leaving, the families would stop to feed the half wild/half tame pet monkey a peanut butter sandwich, who was always waiting in the tree beside the cars.

Tom will be laid to rest by his wife Sandy at the family owned cemetery in Eureka. Please reach out to Debra for date and time of funeral service. Goodbye to a kind and wonderful old Florida farm boy. They sure don't make 'em like that anymore. God speed, Daddy.

music: "Here Come The Irish Danny Boy"