THOMAS MICHAEL "TOM" FLYNN

THOMAS MICHAEL "TOM" FLYNN of Hermitage, PA died June 18, 2018 at the age of 79. He established the John Flynn Funeral Home in 1995 and in 2000, he introduced Derek, a golden retriever from Canine Companions for Independence to the funeral home, which became the first grief therapy dog from C. C. I. in a funeral home. He purchased several cemeteries throughout his funeral service career, including the Homewood Memorial Gardens in Illinois in 1974, the Hillcrest Memorial Park in Hermitage in 1977, and the Hillcrest-Flynn Pet Funeral Home in 2006. He created the Avenue of 444 Flags in 1979 after the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran was taken hostage and in 1981 he made the cover of Time Magazine for his efforts in the hostage crisis. Tom also created the War on Terror Memorial in 2005 and was the 2018 recipient of the Lasting Impact Award from the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.