John Sinon Flannery

John Sinon Flannery (88) passed away peacefully on June 26, 2024, at home surrounded by his family.

A public visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory (8201 Hickman Rd., Urbandale Iowa, 50322) from 4:00 p.m. until  7:00 p.m. with a rosary service starting at 6:30 p.m. A Funeral mass for John will be held on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church (7075 Ashworth Rd, West Des Moines, IA 50266) at 10:00 a.m. Following a luncheon, graveside services and military honors will take place at Glendale cemetery at 12:30. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Liberty Landing Community. Liberty Landing is an 89-unit condominium complex and community that allows residents with intellectual and/or physical disabilities to have an affordable, accessible, and inclusive housing option. Contributions may be payable to Liberty Landing Community, mailing address: 5625 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266.

John was born in Des Moines on February 6, 1936 to Bertha Helene (Sinon) and Dennis Leo Flannery. He was the youngest of four children, with three older sisters, Rita Ann, Kathryn Helene, and Mary Margaret. His family made their home in Bondurant, Iowa.

John attended and later graduated high school from Loras Academy in Dubuque. After graduation, John joined the Air Force and was stationed in Saudi Arabia, and later at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico. It was in Roswell that John met the love of his life and wife of 66 years, Mary “Suzie” Smith, and the two were married on August 18, 1958. Together they had three children, Robert (Lyn) Flannery, Colleen (Mike) Adams, and John E. Flannery.

Shortly following their wedding, John and Suzie returned to Iowa where John became a Trooper with the Iowa Highway Patrol. Despite his love for being a Trooper, John left the Patrol to take a position with GTE Telephone Company because he saw more opportunities for advancement for his young family. John took assignments and lived in Grinnell, Iowa, Cameron, Missouri, Albion, Nebraska, Columbus, Nebraska, Emmetsburg, Iowa, and back to Grinnell. In 1989 they moved to West Des Moines, Iowa so John could be close to the Capitol. He was a Manager, District Manager, and ultimately became a Lobbyist, lobbying State and Federal Governments concerning telecommunication legislation. Many years later, GTE would be acquired by Verizon, and John would be promoted to Vice President of Governmental Affairs where he continued to lobby. One of his proudest pieces of legislation was not for the phone company but was to establish memorial bridges to Troopers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

John enjoyed motorcycling, golfing, music, dancing, and travelling the world, but mostly he enjoyed people. He never met a stranger and made friends with everyone he met.

John is preceded in death by his parents and sisters; and survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren Jeremy (Christina) Flannery, Amy Leners (Andrew Havey), Megan Leners, and Emily Adams; great grandchildren Mandy, Jeremiah, Wesley, and Zoey Flannery, as well as a host of loving extended family and friends far and wide.