William Hamilton Flannagan Sr.

William Hamilton (Ham) Flannagan Sr., of Roanoke, Va., passed away on Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Mr. Flannagan was preceded in death by his parents, Hannah Mae and Henry A. Flannagan; his wife, Kathryn Middleton Flannagan; and his brother, Henry A. Flannagan Jr. He is survived by his sons, William H. Flannagan Jr. and wife, Meribeth, of Woodbridge, Va., and J. Michael Flannagan Sr. and wife, Deborah, of Roanoke, Va.; daughter, Patricia F. Sarver and husband, Nelson W., of Roanoke, Va. Six grandchildren also survive Mr. Flannagan, Sarah F. Lewis and husband, Matthew, of Germantown, Md., Anne Hunter Flannagan, of Roanoke, Va., William H. Flannagan III, of Burke, Va., John Michael Flannagan Jr., of San Francisco, Calif., Kelly S. Williams and husband, T. Craig, of Midlothian, Va., and Kathryn S. Adkins and husband, R. Daniel II, of Vinton, Va.; as well as three great-grandsons; and favorite feline, "Pookie." Mr. Flannagan was born in Trevillians, Va., on September 14, 1920. Ham graduated from Hampden-Sydney College at age 19 with honors and was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity. While at Hampden-Sydney, he played football, basketball, baseball and ran track. He served in the United States Army Medical Administrative Corps during World War II. He was the member of the Pylon Society at Virginia Tech and a lifetime benefactor and a founder of the Roanoke Valley Hokie Club. Additionally, he was the 1980 Virginia State Chili Champion.
Ham served as President of [Carilion] Roanoke Memorial Hospital for 32 years before his retirement in 1986. Prior to that he was the Director of Hospitals for McGuire V.A. Hospital in Richmond and in 1951 he was appointed the first administrator of [Carilion] Franklin Memorial Hospital which opened in 1952. Under his leadership, Memorial and Crippled Children's Hospital became Roanoke Memorial Hospital, which ultimately led to the formation of Carilion Clinic: a seven-hospital, 12,000-employee health system that is the Valley's largest employer. He was named administrator of the hospital in 1954 and was instrumental in, among his many accomplishments, building a 325-bed addition to the hospital, developing Carilion's School of Nursing, building cancer and rehabilitation centers, opening the area's first intensive care unit, partnering with UVA Medical Center, establishing medical and administrative residency programs and growing Carilion into the health system it is today. Ham also served as a member of the State Board of Health.
Ham was granted an honorary Doctorate of Law degree by Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) in 1976; additionally H-SC inducted him into Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society in 1978. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Patrick Henry Society, Hampden-Sydney College as well. He was a Regent of the American College of Healthcare Executives as well as a Lifetime Fellow of the ACHE. Throughout his career he served on numerous civic and professional boards and organizations. He was Chairman of the Virginia-Carolinas Hospital Conference, the Southeastern Hospital Conference and, in 1963, became the Chairman Virginia Hospital Association.
Ham was a long-time supporter and educator of young hospital executives. Over the years he offered opportunities and training to numerous students in administrative residency programs from the Medical College of Virginia, Georgia State University, Trinity University, Brigham Young University and many other schools throughout the country. A generation of hospital executives in Virginia trained at Roanoke Memorial.
In recognition of those contributions, he was named an honorary alumnus of the Medical College of Virginia/VCU School of Healthcare Administration. He was also responsible, along with his friend, colleague, and fellow H-SC alum, Dr. Charles L. Crockett, for developing medical school affiliations and residencies at RMH, thereby firmly establishing medical education in the Roanoke Valley.
In 1982 Ham was selected one of "A Dozen Who Made a Difference A Salute to Those Who Had a Major Role in Building Roanoke." In 1986 he was awarded the Key to the City and was named Roanoke's "Citizen of the Year." He was a past Elder of Second Presbyterian Church and 50 year member of the Masonic Order, and a member of Lakeland Lodge #190.
The family will be receiving friends on Friday, May 14, 2010, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall at Second Presbyterian Church, 215 Mountain Avenue, SW, Roanoke, Va. There will be a memorial service 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, 2010, at Second Presbyterian Church.
The family would like to thank Laura and Cheryl from Helping Hands for all their care and kindness and all of the staff of 8 Mountain ICU at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the William H. (Ham) Flannagan Scholarship Fund, Medical College of Virginia Foundation, P.O. Box 980234, Richmond, Va. 23298-0234, Crockett-Flannagan-Weaver Scholarship, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Va. 23943 or to the Roanoke Ronald McDonald House, 2224 Jefferson St., SE, Roanoke, Va. 24014. Arrangements by Oakey's Roanoke Chapel and Crematory, 540-982-2100.