Michael “Mike” Francis Flynn
Michael “Mike” Francis Flynn passed away peacefully at his beloved childhood home in Easton, PA on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at the age of 75. He was the son of the late Joseph and Rita (Singley) Flynn. He was predeceased by his brother Dennis, who died in childhood, and by his wife of 49 years, Margie.
Mike graduated from Notre Dame High School in Bethlehem Township before earning a BA at La Salle University and an MS from Marquette University, both in Mathematics. It was while he was a graduate student in Milwaukee that he met Margie, and they began their life together in Boulder, Colorado, where Mike began pursuing a PhD at the University of Colorado before deciding the academic life wasn’t for him. He instead had a long career as a quality control engineer and consultant for Coors Container Corp and Stat-A-Matrix/Oriel, traveling around the world.
However, Mike’s true vocation was as an award winning novelist and writer of science fiction. His interest in the theoretical and in futures possible was sparked in childhood by his father Joe, who encouraged Mike and Dennis to write space adventures that he would then film. For Mike, it became a lifelong passion. He was the author of 17 novels and short story collections, and his latest novel will be published in May 2024. His work was so frequently featured in the monthly science fiction literary magazine Analog that he was among a group of writers dubbed “the Analog Mafia.” He was an active member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writer’s Group until he passed.
When he wasn’t writing, Michael enjoyed lively discussions, reading, and watching Jeopardy and mystery/true crime shows, especially British ones. He always sought to learn about different things. Some of it was for his writing, some for the extensive family research he has always done, and some of it was just because he wanted to learn more about the universe, the planet we live on, and the people around him. He was an easy-going person, rarely losing his temper, and loved to regale everyone with a seemingly endless supply of Dad jokes and puns. When he laughed, it was with delight.
Michael is survived by his two children, Sara and Dennis, and his three grandchildren, Noelle, Zaid and Adam. He is also survived by three brothers, Kevin (Harriet Novak), Sean (Dana) and Patrick (Patricia Garrett), his aunts Mary, Patricia, and Blanche, his nieces and nephews, and many cousins, friends, and fans.
Calling hours will be held on October 12, 2023 from 5 to 7 pm at the Finegan Funeral Home, 4080 William Penn Highway, Palmer Twp., Pa., and on Friday, October 13, 2023 from 9 to 10 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church, 4049 Hartley Avenue, Palmer Twp., Pa. beginning at 10:30 am. Interment will be held at New St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Easton, Pa.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Greater Lehigh Valley Writer’s Group in Michael’s name. https://greaterlehighvalleywritersgroup.wildapricot.org/Donations