Robert A. Flynn

Our dear "daddy" is missed by many, every day. He brought light to our lives.

I still think of "daddy" (his name online) all the time! Great guy who loved his family more than anything. And a great and fun friend!

Miss you!

I thought of Rob every now and then. When I did, I would smile. He is someone I will never forget.

I've only now learned of Rob's passing via our college alumni periodical. These tributes to Rob describe so well the man I knew over 40 years ago.
Mike Massey

I am deeply saddened to hear of Rob's passing. Haven't seen him in many years since the days of Alameda. Will hoist a pint for him, he was a special person. I know he will be missed.

My heartfelt condolences to Barb and daughters. Have know Rob since the late 80's, he was a special guy, he will be sorely missed

I graduated from high school with Rob. He was a nice person, always friendly. No words can express the sadness I felt upon learning about his passing. I will continue to remember him fondly as I have since we graduated nearly 46 years ago. May Jehovah continue to bless and keep his family during this sad time.
Respectfully,
Roberta Ward

I graduated from high school with Rob. He was a nice person, always friendly. No words can express the sadness I felt upon learning about his passing. I will continue to remember him fondly as I have since we graduated nearly 46 years ago. May Jehovah continue to bless and keep his family during this sad time.
Respectfully,
Roberta Ward

Rob was a gentle man who brought a calm sense of being to all he interacted with.
I served in the Navy with him and BJ and will forever remember the many great times we spent together.
God be with you Rob and your loved ones.
You will be missed Shipmate.
Chip White

We all have wonderful memories of Rob and the rest of the Flynn family from the kids elementary school days. We are so sorry for your loss. The Moma family

Our hearts are heavy and we are thinking of you Barb, Palden and Zoey. We are so sorry for your loss.

Rob was one of those unique Captains that made you actually look forward to a 2 week trip... He was a fascinating man to tip a pint with, and he will be sorely missed. My deepest sympathies to his family...

Wes Erb
FDX ANC Capt

Great guy, pilot ,shipmate and friend.The skies will miss him.Bill Knell

Met Rob 41 years ago when we were both still in college during a trip to Pensacola to see if we were interested in being Naval Aviators and if the Navy was interested in us. We became close friends.
Ended up in exact same class in Pensacola.
Few years later after flying same airplane , S-3, in different squadrons, ended up in same squadron flying C-9 transports.
Then, flying civilian planes we were in exact same class as new hires at FedEx, where we both were stationed in Anchorage on the MD-11. I have a picture of the two of us getting off the shuttle bus that first day at FedEx. Fond memories of his smile.
Rob and I were roommates in Memphis our first months with Fedex and I have never met a more genuine example of a true friend than he was.
I miss him and the example he lived so well.
May God bless Barb and his daughters.
Numbers 6:24-26

Way too soon. I really enjoyed flying with Rob. Havent seen him since he left the NAV, but he had a fun trainer route he take us on for syllabus flights. I swear he knew where every crash site was in Palm Springs. Great pilot and an excellent instructor. Always was very interesting to chat with at the bar. RIP Rob.

Daddy's comments on JOM were always the highlight of many a thread. He will be missed and his comments are irreplaceable. I'm so sorry he is gone and my heart goes out to his family.

Why do some live to a happy old age, and why are others snatched away suddenly? Why are good people taken, and others, who may not deserve it, continue to live? I cant begin to understand, but I know Id enjoy a conversation with Rob Flynn on the subject, in a quiet cockpit, on a dark night, over the endless ocean.

Rob Flynn and I havent been close for almost 30 years, but there was a time when we were. Our lives were on the same professional path, serving our country together in two Navy squadrons. Rob was a quiet patriot, and never wore his service on his sleeve. We flew together, drank together, traded books and ideas with each other. We shared a love of baseball, attending almost 80 Oakland As games together, watching from our usual seats on the first base line, right behind the visitors dugout. Rob taught me the first chords I learned on the guitar, pressing my fingers into the right places, as I struggled to form a G, C, and D. I am eternally grateful to him for that patient effort, which in the end has helped bring me countless hours of pleasure.

Over time our lives drifted apart. I last saw Rob more than 15 years ago, a chance meeting in Paris. Our professional lives were again parallel, each flying the wondrous MD-11 for our respective employers. Our conversation that day was if we hadnt seen each other in 15 minutes, not years, due to a closeness born of service, kinship, and shared interests. I will miss that special bond now that Rob is gone.

Which brings me back to the question of why are some taken so suddenly? Ill never know, but I do know that Rob Flynn lives on in the many lives that he touched on his path. I am grateful that I once knew Rob, and I wish that he were still here so I could tell him directly. Our world is a better place for Rob Flynn having been in it.

He was a darling man and I will miss reading his wonderful comments. We were so lucky to have him for a time. God Bless his dear wife and daughters.

We are saddened to hear about Robert. We will miss seeing him walk his dogs late at night and conversing with him on the street whenever we met. Our sincere condolences to Barbara and daughters.

I never got to meet Rob in person. I felt I knew him as a 'best friend' though thru a blog he and I both frequented, JustOneMinute.

There he was known as 'daddy'.

daddy was one of the most gracious, humorous and erudite individuals I have ever run across in my life, online or in person.

The guy knew a bit about everything, especially how to live.

Stuck in the midwest of the U.S., I lived vicariously thru his travelogues and will miss those terribbly along with his amazing wit.

I was blessed to have 'met' him and will miss him terribly.

I extend to his family and friends my most heartfelt condonences.

I will not forget him.

No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.
- Mark Twain's Notebook
Rob (Daddy) loved Mark Twain and quoted him often online. He also truly loved his amazing family. May God bless each of you every day of your life.

Rob aka daddy (at JOM) was a man who made you feel comfortable, and the only person in the room. He had an insatiable curiosity, a love of books, archaeology, history, and science. During the New Horizon flyby of Ultimate Thule, he and I corresponded on the teamwork at NASA, JHAPL, Southwest Institute and how they made this discovery so interesting. He just had a knack for storytelling. So, no wonder he was a fan of Mark Twain. He is in our prayers as he raconteurs with all his friends in Heaven.

We never met face to face, but he was a friend I will always remember. Many years of talking back and forth in the comment section of JOM makes even virtual friends feel as though they have met. My deepest and most sincere condolences to you, his family.

I met Bob several times in Indianapolis, where I live. A joyful, kind, and smart man who was interested in many things.

I will always be grateful for his kindness and interest in my grandson, who graduated from IU this year and always asked about Bob and where his travels were taking him. he was impressed with him (and me, for knowing him).

I pass on my grandson Nate's condolences as well. We will both miss him and will always remember him.

Rob (Daddy) was an awesome man.

Our dearest "daddy" on JOM was a light to us all--completely irreplaceable and much loved. Fare forward, in God's peace.

He was a voracious reader, interested, it seems in everything and he shared what he learned with hundreds of his online fans and friends. He was a man we all loved, as we wandered online with him through all his travels. I regret we never had schedules which allowed us to meet. He will be dearly missed.

Only knew 'daddy' thru JOM but he was still my favorite 'teacher'. I will miss his posts as will the rest of JOM's lurker community.

My heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Rob, with whom I wasn't fortunate enough to meet up but exchanged sporadic emails. His was a life well lived in every sense of the word and brought immense pleasure to those around him. It's impossible to think of anyone who won't remember him fondly.

I am truly deeply sorry for your loss. My warmest condolences go out to the family and friends of Robert. May the God of all Comport Grant you peace and strength during difficult time (psalm 91:1).

I only knew "Daddy" on JOM, but he brought much light, joy, and humor into my life over the years. May God grant him eternal rest, and comfort and consolation to his beloved wife and daughters.

Robert A Flynn was a very good man that I was blessed to call a friend. I know from experience how hard this is for his wife and daughters. I pray that the hope and comfort of the living God helps them through.

Rob's comments at JOM were a joy to read. He will be missed by his online family.
Peace be with you.

I met a man the other day I had not known before
Though we knew each other only a few hours we were friends to the core
He talked to me about his interests so many different things
We were both so happy I did not notice he was growing wings
We bounced around the stacks of a bookstore called the Strand
That place will always be for me a very special land
From there we walked a few blocks more with a third friend
Little did we know that one of us was near the end
We had a beer, we shared photos, we shared good times
And I apologize sincerely for the lameness of these rhymes
Those few hours with Rob Flynn will never be forgotten
He showed me what happiness was in a few hours in Manhattan
God bless you Barbara,and the girls he called Caltech and UC Irvine,
Your Rob is up in heaven now and he is doing fine

A huge loss for all that knew him. I have only fond memories of flying long FedEx trips with Rob. His enthusiasm for reading, history and knowledge was infectious. We never lacked for interesting conversations. My deepest condolences for his family and friends.

I loved your own special insights about life and human nature. You had a way of writing that was fresh and clean and made me say, Yes - why didn't I write that? You will be sorely missed by so many that you never met or knew. Would to God that might be said of us when we pass from this life into the arms of God and see Him face to face.

I'm proud to have known you, 'daddy', and glad to have been able to meet you in person.

My deepest sympathy to your family and other friends.

Robert/daddy was a special person who I had the pleasure of meeting once after interacting online for years. Meeting him was like a reunion of old friends not a first introduction. Thank you for sharing him with us.

Rob Flynn shared his travel, his reading, his sense of humor, and his good nature online. Condolences to his family.

Daddy, you were a great man and a great friend. Thank you so much for being a part of the JOM life. And thank you even more for your devotion to your family. I miss you!

I will miss Rob immensely. We only met face to face a few times, but they were always the best of times. I shall hoist a mug in his honor at the Moose's Tooth and read from some obscure historical biography.

I only knew him online, but I knew him there for quite a while. A treasure of a man. One in a million. His loss leaves a hole in the world.

My condolences to his family and his countless friends. I had been looking forward to meeting Rob in person. But I shall always treasure the memory of his wise and witty conversations and notes. Rest In Peace, my friend

daddy, as he was known to virtual friends in the JOM blogging world, lavished on us so much of what he learned reading long hours in the cockpit. His notes freely shared with us his world travels. His keen intellect and humility gave us insights and sound questions to ask ourselves.

His vitality gave us energy. His laughter gave us joy. And his everyday example gave us hope. He will be with us always and forever more.

To the family he lived and loved, thank you for sharing daddy with us ... and please give the dogs hugs for us at every turn.