Thad Wesley Flenniken

Thad Wesley Flenniken, 80, of Royal, AR, left his final physical mark on September 30, 2025. Born on September 24, 1945, in Brooklyn, NY, to Wesley and Jane Stadnik Flenniken, he spent his early childhood in Newark, OH, before moving to Arkadelphia, AR, where he graduated from high school. Thad began his college education at Henderson State University before transferring to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he received a Master of Fine Arts. He taught art in the public school in Leadwood, MO, before becoming a founding member of the art department and a Professor of Fine Arts at Garland County Community College (National Park College).
Thad was preceded in death by his parents, Wesley and Jane Flenniken, and brother-in-law Hayes Baber. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Donna Baber Flenniken; his treasured princess dog, Pippa; daughter, Tess Flenniken Condley (Blake) of Hot Springs; son, Wes Flenniken of Benton; four grandchildren, Samuel Flenniken, Kai Condley, Maggie Flenniken, and Marley Condley; brother, John Jeffrey Flenniken; nephews, Josh Flenniken (Amber) and TJ Baber; sisters-in-law, Mary Gail Vidrick (Bob) and Kathy Baber Rushton, cousins, and friends beyond measure.
If you were lucky enough to meet Thad, you would remember him the next time. Maybe it would be his neon shoelaces, loud socks, yellow Converse shoes, a jaunty hat, or large reflective sunglasses perched over a wide smile, and always layered clothing. But most likely it would be a quickness to laugh, an attentive gaze, or an enthusiastic spinning of a personal tale animated with descriptive gestures and imaginative details while bursting with laughter at the end. In all likelihood, the tale would be some errant adventure told at his own expense.
As a student in Thad's classroom, you experienced a kind, nurturing instruction leading to your pleasure and growth as an artist, with jokes and sarcasm on the side. He was the gentlest of souls with those who wanted to learn. He is revered by a legion of art students, his teaching colleagues, and all who had the pleasure of working with him.
He valued and respected the complex relationship between humanity and nature, loving and finding value in all animals and recognizing the beauty and pleasure in seeing the colors, contrasts, and movements in nature until his last days. He blessed his friends and family with a knowledge of fishing and was a camping partner who loved the challenge of innovating the most efficient approaches to the circumstance at hand. He taught his children and grandchildren to love and respect the outdoors.
Thad was recognized as an accomplished professional artist who used his art to express profound ideas about the natural world and about our human history throughout the ages. He researched and explored anthropological subjects like man's mark on cave walls and woman's first mark ever recorded in his MARKS and Eve's Mark series. Thad was a thinking man's artist.
Thad had a strong and independent sense of self, often expressed in his wardrobe and demeanor as well as in his art and being able to laugh at himself. He searched for ways to express gratitude while interacting with others and then expressing specific thank you comments when ending the conversation. Among his many gifts were his attention to detail, creative imagination, ability to observe, and his ingenuity and humorous take on the daily adventures we all experience. He promoted fairness, equality, and finding the good in everyone. Our world is made better with those kinds of gifts. Thad was a help mate when needed, a loving father and grandfather, a faithful spouse, and every dog's best friend.
Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.