Thomas J. Flinn III of Norfolk, MA, (formerly of Needham), passed away on January 15, 2023. He was 78.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Celine M. (Brennan) Flinn; his four sons, Brian L. Flinn and his wife Kathy (Krause) of Cranston, RI; Timothy M. Flinn and his wife Angélica (Pence) of San Francisco, CA; Gregory S. Flinn and his wife Wendy (Reese) of Wildwood, MO; and Tom J. Flinn IV and his wife Kate (Caiozzo) of Mansfield, MA.
Tom was born in 1944, in Springfield, MA. The eldest of nine children, he was a graduate of Cathedral High School where he lettered in football and swimming. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in 1966 from Boston College, and a Master in Business Administration from Michigan State University in 1968. Tom married Celine in 1970 at Our Lady of Presentation Church, in Brighton, MA.
His successful career as a certified public accountant spanned numerous decades. He worked for himself and several large companies, including UMass Memorial Medical Center and the State of Massachusetts.
Tom loved his eight grandchildren and his dogs, O’Brien and Cocoa. His hobbies included chasing that elusive bluefish or bass, and playing cribbage with his new friends in Norfolk.
A big sports fan, Tom could often be found by a pitch, a court or a diamond cheering on his sons and grandchildren. He loved all things New England sports. As a congregant for four decades at St. Bartholomew Church in Needham, he had a perfect attendance record for the 4 p.m. Saturday mass. That is, unless BC’s football team had a game scheduled at the same time. Proud member of the Knights of Columbus.
Aside from his wife and sons, Tom is survived by his eight grandchildren: Norah C., 18, Madeline K., 15, Aiden B., 16, Sebastián T., 14, Connor R., 14, Delaney K., 13, Liam T. 11, and Reese K., 3. As well as his siblings: John Flinn of East Dennis; Mary Cunningham of Needham; Joanne Ewing of Portland, OR; Christopher Flinn of Dedham; Robert Flinn of Walpole; Janice Powers of Charlestown; and the late Richard Flinn and Peter Flinn. He is likewise survived by his four Colpoys cousins, and many nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to visiting hours at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 1305 Highland Ave., Needham, MA, this Sunday, January 22, from 3-7 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at St. Bartholomew Church, 1180 Greendale Ave., Needham, MA, on Monday, January 23, starting at 10 a.m. An interment will follow in West Roxbury, at St. Joseph Cemetery, 990 Lagrange St., Boston, MA.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Tom’s memory to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the
Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) Northwest, PO Box 22125, Portland, OR, 97269 (www.jvcnorthwest.org/give).