Dan Flynn remembered for his dedication to Texas and family

Nov. 3—Herald-Banner staff report

Former District 2 state Rep. Dan Flynn was being remembered Monday for his 18 years of service in the Texas House as well as for the lives he touched across Hunt and surrounding counties.

Flynn died peacefully on Oct. 28, according to a statement from his family. He was 79.

Hunt County GOP Chairman David Hale knew Flynn as being a genuine individual.

"He truly cared about people and the issues that were important to them," Hale said. "When he spoke to you he was not distracted or only halfway listening but instead gave you his full attention, because he really did care. He went out of his way to make each person feel valued and of importance. His servant leadership was and will remain an inspiration."

Gov. Greg Abbott called Flynn "a man of exceptional character, who served his constituents faithfully and fought to uphold the fundamental freedoms that Texans value. From advocating for the right of public schools to display the Ten Commandments in the classroom, to serving as the chairman of the Defense and Veterans' Affairs Committee and chairman of the Pensions Committee, Representative Flynn leaves behind an impressive legacy of leadership and selfless service to the people of Texas. He also served as a member of the U.S. Military and as brigadier general in the Texas State Guard. Representative Flynn will be dearly missed, and our prayers go out to his wife and family during this time of grief."

Herald-Banner{/em} publisher Lisa Chappell recalled Flynn's kind, generous spirit.

"Dan accomplished many great things in his life but nothing stands out more to me than his character," Chappell said. "He had many political accolades, but what goes much deeper than those accomplishments were his acts of kindness. He was gentle, kind and gracious to everyone he met and his willingness to give back to our community certainly affected more lives than he could know. Dan made a difference and that is how I will remember him."

After serving nine terms in office, Flynn, a Republican from Van, lost to incumbent Rep. Bryan Slaton in the 2020 Republican Party primary runoff election.

"I am saddened to hear of the passing of Representative Flynn," Slaton said. "My sincerest condolences go out to his family, and I offer up my prayers for comfort and peace. The news of the passing of Dan Flynn is a reminder to all of us that life is fragile. We are all grateful to Representative Flynn for the work he did to defend innocent life and for his service to our community, and I am thankful that the Lord saw fit to allow Dan to witness the ending of Roe v. Wade after a lifetime of fighting for the unborn."

Added Slaton: "Though Dan and I didn't agree on everything, we both professed faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that is a glorious thing to celebrate today," Slaton said.

Flynn served with the 36th Infantry Division during the Vietnam era and as a brigadier general in the Texas State Guard before retiring from active service. Flynn was a leader in obtaining funding for new buildings in his district, including the Music Hall and Planetarium at Texas A&M-Commerce. He also was instrumental in securing property for the Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial site in Canton. His accomplishments include passing legislation that increased transparency in state government, strengthening border security and modernizing legislation under which the Texas Military Forces operates.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Lakeside Baptist Church in Canton. Burial will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.