Claire Joan Flynn

FLYNN, Claire Joan-29 June 2021. Claire was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1956 to Edward Flynn and Eileen Sullivan Flynn. She was the fourth of eleven children.

Claire graduated from St. Rita School for the Deaf in Cincinnati, Ohio and from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.

During the mid-1980s, Claire worked with Fr. Tom Coughlin at the Brooklyn Diocese, Catholic Charities Deafness Services, where she used her skills as a social worker to serve the deaf community of Brooklyn and Queens.

She then worked as a teacher’s aide for the Cleary School for the Deaf Elementary Program, as well as for the Cleary Secondary Program at East Islip High School. Claire was a member of the Cleary staff for more than 20 years, retiring in 2018. She was beloved by the students, staff and administration of Cleary School.

Claire was well known at Cleary for her love of everything Irish. Each school day during the month of March, Claire could be seen wearing green.

Claire was predeceased by her father, Edward and her brothers Jim, Joseph, Paul and John. She is survived by her mother, Eileen and her siblings Edward, Eileen, Bill, Catherine, Anne Marie, and David. She is also survived by her dearly beloved and best friend Ann Van Hove; Ann’s daughters Krista, Courtney, and Lisa; and two special nephews, Liam and Gavin. She was loved by all and will be greatly missed.