Edward Flynn

Edward J. Flynn, 94, resident of North Little Rock, Arkansas, died Saturday September 16, 2006, at Arkansas Hospice, Fort Root, North Little Rock, AR. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 29, 1912 to Patrick Flynn, a policeman, and Catherine Dinnean Flynn.
Bon vivant, raconteur, prolific writer of letters to the editor, and teller of tall tales. To those who knew and loved him, it is hard to imagine a world without Ed Flynn. Ed entertained his family and friends with stories of colorful career including Hollywood backlot intrigue in the 1930s and 1940s, World War II, the 1968 Chicago Convention, and anecdotes about politicians and entertainers he met along the way.
He graduated from Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn and as a teenager was working as a runner on Wall Street in October 1929 where he witnessed the start of the Great Depression. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1936 with a degree in journalism, and returned to Manhattan to work for a variety of magazines including Downbeat. In addition, he managed the Woody Herman Big Band during Woody?s early years.
He entered the U.S. Army in 1942, where he was initially assigned to the Pentagon and was later assigned to be a correspondent for Stars and Stripes. He and Leo Rosten, author of The Joys of Yiddish, were assigned to France and Germany as public affairs officers. He left the military with the rank of major in 1946; moved to Southern California and started a public relations firm. In this capacity, he became the Western Regional Director of the non-profit organization CARE. Other clients included Project Hope, Project Concern, and a number of corporations, such as Lockheed Aircraft Services, Motorola, and Standard Oil. In addition, he served on several boards, including the Della Martin Foundation from 1976 to 2004.
During the 1960?s, Ed was instrumental in the founding of KCET, the first public television station in California, and became an owner of radio station KRLA.
After retiring from public relation, Ed and long-time companion Nina Cash moved from Southern California to Little Rock, Arkansas. He edited ?The Buck Stops Here?, a compilation of letters from Harry Truman.
Ed was preceded in death by his father and mother, sister Frances, and brother Tom. He is survived by his son Edward J. Flynn II, daughters, Louise and Catherine Flynn, grandsons, Edward J. Flynn III (Terry) and Charles Edward McFadden (Charlie), granddaughter Dorothy Flynn (Dorie), niece Patricia Flynn, nephew Michael Flynn, and Nina Cash and family, Elizabeth Cash Hess (Scott) of Silverton, Oregon and Barrett W. Cash of Anchorage, AK.
Cremation will be followed by a memorial service at a later date. Interment will be held at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Arkansas Hospice Foundation, Inc., 5600 West 12th Street, Little Rock, AR 72204-1717; William F. Laman Library, 2801 North Orange, North Little Rock, AR. 72114 and the Central Arkansas Library Foundation, 120 Commerce Street, Little Rock, AR 72114.
Funeral Arrangements by North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main Street, 758-1170. Online obituary and guest register at www.northlittlerockfuneralhome.com