Richard (Ric) Allan Flynn, 61, died peacefully at his home in Mahanoy City on April 13, 2022.  He suffered from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a rare condition which was a complication following a knee replacement in 2010.

Even though he was in constant debilitating pain, he always had a smile and downplayed how extreme his condition was.  He cherished all family activities, including "manly-man" Sundays with Trevor and Jessica as small children, camping in a bounce house overnight at the pharmacy with both children and their friends, making swimwear out of duct tape with Jessica for her Barbie dolls, watching Trevor make "toxic waste" using common kitchen ingredients, and hiking the do-or-die trails together.  He and Jessica shared cherished conversations while taking drives, and later he enjoyed a cigar or a toast with Trevor and his friends.  He always had the right insight and advice to help his family with any of life's problems, showing others to forgive by his example.  He did everything he possibly could to make Karen's life easier, always treating his wife like a queen.

Ric was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on June 23, 1960, but shortly afterward his family moved to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where he grew up.  He was a 1978 graduate of Hazleton High School and earned his associate's degree in dietary management from Alvernia College.  He worked on his bachelor's degree in food service management at Penn State Hazleton.

Ric was always a hard worker, beginning as a young teenager at Price's Dairy and moving on to Genetti's and Carmen's where he honed his cooking skills and the speed necessary to excel at busy restaurants.  At 19 years old, Ric was employed at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Hazleton, filling various positions, starting as breakfast cook and moving on to stock room manager, Assistant Director of Food Services, and finally Director of Food and Nutritional Services.  He served on many committees during his 18 years at St. Joseph's, from Meals on Wheels to the Alliance Committee.  His love of spending time with his wife Karen led him to open and manage The Café at Morris Drugs, where they worked together to combine pharmacy services with a breakfast and lunch counter.   The Café was a local hot spot with excellent food and Rick's great sense of humor and unending entertainment.  Though his medical condition forced him to close his beloved café, the food, atmosphere, and camaraderie he provided are still fondly remembered today.

Ric was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Henry and Fern Louise (Beckey) Flynn, Sister Nancy Flynn, Brother Thomas Flynn, and father-in-law Frank Pangonis, Sr.  He is sadly missed by his wife, Karen Pangonis Flynn, with whom he would have celebrated 29 years of marriage on April 24, and their children Trevor Flynn (Dusquesne University School of Law), and Jessica Flynn (University of Pittsburgh).  Also surviving are brothers Larry Flynn (Bernadette), Robert Flynn (Cindy), Gerald Flynn (Tina), and sisters Kathleen Keath and Janice Bertuola (fiance Pete Minneci). Ric is survived by Joann Pangonis, his mother-in-law, whom he loved as dearly as a biological mother; Diane (Peter) Butkus, sister-in-law; Frank (Wendy) Pangonis, brother-in-law; numerous nieces and nephews, one great-niece, and a great-nephew on the way.

Ric was very active and enjoyed tennis, softball, volleyball, basketball, darts, and hiking, actually rescuing a llama while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee with his brother Gerald.  He was also an avid reader.   But the thing that most defined Ric was his love of his wife and children.  You would be hard-pressed to find a more loving couple than Ric and Karen.

Ric received the sacraments at St. Gabriel's Church in Hazleton and later became a member at St. Teresa of Calcutta Church in Mahanoy City.  Ric was a dedicated member of the National Rifle Association, the American Chestnut Foundation, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the American Dietetic Association.

Visitation will be Saturday, April 16, at the Louis D. Truskowsky Funeral Home, 300 W. Center St., Mahanoy City, from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  A service will follow visitation at 6:00 p.m. with final blessings by Pastor Ginny Heimer.  Burial will be at the convenience of the family.  Donations in Ric's name may be sent to RSDSA (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association) at P.O. Box 502, 99 Cherry St., Milford, CT 06460.

The following was written by Trevor Flynn.

Yesterday I came home to find my father's face free from pain for the first time in over a decade. I've dreaded the day that his condition would finally take him for years but deep down I knew that he deserved the release. He was the purest most generous soul I have ever known and it seemed that the world only ever punished him for it. I could never truly understand his grace in the face of one of the cruelest conditions a person could ever live in. He suffered so much more than he would ever let anyone know and he never wanted the world to stop for him. At times it was infuriating when I wanted the world to understand how we suffered but he would never let up on his brave face and he could only ever think of sharing the best parts of him with the world. He would never let himself be indignant with his condition and he made the best out of what life gave him. He was my first teacher, my mentor, and my best friend. I couldn't help but be consumed by bitterness when he was afflicted with CRPS and I knew it hurt him. He suffered more seeing how his pain effected his family than he did with his own condition. He always strived to be the best husband and father he could be and he succeeded at that more than he ever realized. I only hope I can do right by him and make the best use of everything he taught me. All I want to do is isolate myself and resent this situation but for him, I am going to do everything I can to give something positive back to this world. If he were here he wouldn't want me to feel sorry for myself and use this as an excuse to put up a wall to avoid living my life. He would want me to go out and try to make the world a brighter place rather than curse at the darkness. I hope I can make him proud and fulfill his only wish for me: that I become a good man. I've never been much of a believer but I hope when I'm done here that he is up there with the old crew waiting for me to tell him about it.