Jack Flagerman

FLAGERMAN, Jack - The shadow of Mt. Tamalpais cast a darker shade last Sunday after the passing of one of Marin's sports heroes, Jack Flagerman. He was 83. Jack grew up in San Anselmo, attending St. Anselm's and went on to become a sports phenom in the 1930s at Tamalpais High, setting school records in track, basketball and football. With WWII looming, he joined the Marines and fought in the Pacific theater, seeing some of the fiercest action of the war at Guadalcanal and the Palau Islands. Upon his return, he returned to football at St. Mary's in Moraga and later became the first professional football player from Marin, playing for the Los Angeles Dons in the late 1940s in the All American Football Conference. He later coached the Marin Lions, a semi-pro football team. In November 1991, Jack was inducted into the Marin Athletic Hall of Fame. Jack was the youngest son of Irish and Swedish immigrants and was the last survivor of his five siblings, all who lived into their late 80s and 90s. He is survived by daughter, Joan Pearson, of Novato, and son, Tim, of Sonoma County. A special service will be held at St. Anselm's Church in San Anselmo on June 25, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. All donations should be directed to the Marin Athletic Foundation at P.O. Box 150930, San Rafael, CA 94915.