Jerry Flanagan
FLANAGAN - A Celebration of Life was held November 19, 2022, at St Paul’s United Church for Jerry Flanagan November 1, 1932 - November 9, 2022. Jerry was born in Unity to Dora and Stanley Flanagan and lived in the country close to Reward Saskatchewan up to 1953 when Jerry moved to Kindersley to play ball with the Klippers and start work at Kee Sheet Metal while boarding at Don & Toni Staples for five years. Jerry met Valerie Morgan, and they were married on August 6, 1958.
Jerry played many years for the Klippers, and several members of those teams are now in the Sask Baseball hall of fame, including both Jerry and his brother Irl Flanagan. After Jerry’s playing days, he helped coach his sons Jamie & Robin in minor ball and eventually, along with Stan Niles and John Bourne, started the Kindersley Royals, who were overall contenders in senior baseball’s SMBL, Sask Western and Canadian championships along with the big cash tournaments in western Canada. Jerry umpired and served as Sask Baseball director for zone 7 and, in the early 1980s, was looking to build a complex and host some world championships. Jerry chaired the 1984 World Youth Championships and the 1986 Pacific College Cup of Baseball. These events and the Royals’ success put Kindersley on the World Baseball map. If the gates were open at the ballparks, you could usually find Jerry handing out peppermint mints or life savers while either working on the diamonds or enjoying a game and friendships.
In winters, he refereed for 18 years while serving on the senior Klipper hockey teams board and coaching minor hockey’s Kindersley Quakers from bantam up to Juvenile division. Ultimately, with all of Jerry’s dedication to Kindersley Baseball, he was very humbled to have the Jerry S Flanagan Complex named in his honour.
Jerry’s plumbing career took him into gas inspecting and then into plumbing and heating for 67 years in Kindersley. Jerry loved to work/mentor and be around people. In Jerry’s last few years, he toured the town and surrounding areas for coffee, visits, and lunches and would bring home baking from the area bakeries - dubbed the Carrot Man at McDonalds for his love of their muffins.
Jerry was predeceased by his wife Valerie, his mother and father, and brothers Harvey, Allan and Irl. Jerry loved his family and was very proud of our Irish heritage and will be dearly missed by his son Jamie (Sherri), Kayla (great-grandson Nate James Neumeier), Lacey (Josh), Sean (Maddie), son Robin (Brenda), Allyson, Dylon, Kelly.
Donations can be made to Kindersley & District Health and Wellness Foundation Box 195, Kindersley, SK S0L 1S0.