Wilbur Nelson Flynn

Wilbur (Bill) Flynn was born on November 25, 1935, in Sault St. Marie, Michigan, and raised in Jacksonville, Illinois. After graduating from Jacksonville High School, he left Illinois to join the Marine Corps First Reconnaissance Unit at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. His unit tested cold-weather gear in Alaska and Scuba gear in Hawaii. Upon discharge, he moved to the San Gabriel Valley and joined the Flood Control Department, where he worked for the next 38 years. He held a variety of positions, including Guniteman, Construction Supervisor, and eventually retired as a Construction Superintendent. In 1959, he met and married Eileen Hazel Tackett, who had one child, Brent Tackett. The family moved to Azusa, where Wilbur lived the rest of his life. Over the years, they had two additional children, Todd and Dede. Eileen died from cancer in 1998, having been married 38 yrs.

Wilbur later met and married Marion Sueko (Sue) Nakamura in 2002. They were married 24 yrs at the time of his passing.

Wilbur was known to be a quiet, reserved, but extremely hardworking family man. Never prone to displays of affection, he was generous in his expressions of love through his many acts of service to others. He was surprisingly sentimental with a sharp sense of humor. A homebody who also loved to adventure. His travels with Sue took him all over the country. His life was well lived, and he’ll be deeply missed by all who knew him.