Marie Flynn, age 89 years, of Pottsville, died of natural causes Wednesday morning, January 20, 2021 in her home in Pottsville.
Born April 14, 1931, in Gary, Indiana, she was the daughter of Louis Sammy of Bitola, Macedonia and Irene Theodoroff Sammy of Pleven, Bulgaria.
For many years, Marie taught music to middle school students in Pottsville. After retiring from the Pottsville Area School District, she became a music instructor at Penn State Schuylkill Campus. She was known to many for singing at civic and entertainment venues in Schuylkill County. She also performed in community opera and theater, even touring Europe in 1994 to sing in A Coal Region Opera: A Pick, A Candle and a Kiss. Marie was an active parishioner at St. John the Baptist Church in Pottsville. In 1997, she organized a trip to Rome for the joint choirs, who performed When the Saints Go Marching In for Pope John Paul II.
During her retirement years, she was a devoted, industrious and talented community leader. She taught music to her beloved children at St. Joseph Center for Special Learning in Pottsville, which included music recitals and presentations. In 2016 she was honored as the St. Joseph’s Ambassador of the Year for her years of service in the classroom and community.
Marie organized several community musical review shows at the Yuengling Mansion on Mahantongo Street in Pottsville, recruiting talented performers from her neighborhood, family and community. She was also a member of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and before the COVID- 19 pandemic restrictions, she had begun writing and rehearsing a musical program to celebrate African American history.
Marie graduated in 1953 from DePaul University in Chicago with bachelor’s and masters degrees in voice and piano performance.
She was married for 61 years to the late William J. Flynn III, the love of her life, who passed away November 3, 2014.
She is survived by her six children, eleven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Children are: Kathryn M. Igoe and her husband William, Seattle, WA.; Elizabeth S. Flynn and her husband Roy, Cape Cod MA; William J. Flynn IV and his wife Christine, Burke VA; Michael T. Flynn and his wife Therese, Lebanon NJ; Marty L. Flynn and her husband Eric, Chicago IL, and Thomas E. Flynn, Pottsville. She is also survived by her sisters Vera Paczolt of Valparaiso, IN and Rose Yelich and her husband Steve of Walkerton, IN.
Marie will be remembered by her family and friends for her buoyant spirit and her keen sense of humor. Her Christian values were central to her life and were measured by her support of those close to her and her leadership in community service. She was a loyal Notre Dame football fan and took an active interest in current events, local and national. She was an avid, life-long reader, instilling the love of books in all who knew her. Recently she had been reading biographies of American presidents, and she called the collection of her books the Presidential Library.
A private Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. John the Baptist RC Church, Pottsville Rev. David Loeper, Off. Interment will be held in St. John the Baptist Cemetery, Pottsville. Schlitzer Allen Pugh Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Marie took great joy in teaching children with special needs. In honor of her generosity and in lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory would be gratefully received by St. Joseph’s Center for Special Learning, 2075 W Norwegian Street, Pottsville, PA 17901.
Please visit SchlitzerAllenPugh.com to leave a condolence for the family.
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