Allison Suzanne Flynn

Allison Suzanne Flynn, beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2025, surrounded by her family after a courageous seven-month battle with a rare cancer. She was 37.

Born and raised in East Lansing, Michigan, Allison grew up with a love for both music and sports—both singing, and playing violin, basketball, and volleyball. She held various leadership roles in high school. She attended Wheaton College, where a six-month program in India sparked a lifelong passion for serving the vulnerable. After earning her master’s degree in public health from the University of Illinois Chicago, she joined World Relief in Baltimore as a health advisor.

In that role, Allison was grateful to serve on nutrition and maternal health initiatives alongside dedicated partners and colleagues worldwide. In 2018, her work led her to relocate to Malawi, where she supported programs in Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. Known for her adventurous spirit, she was also a seasoned traveler who explored 30 countries, often weaving in adventures to places like Morocco, Ireland, Seychelles, Zanzibar and Namibia around her work.

Of all her titles, her favorite was “Aunt Alli.” She was a proud and devoted aunt who poured her time and energy into her nieces and nephews whenever she returned home. Her presence in their lives was marked by joy, laughter, and love.

Allison also had a gift for crafting and finding beauty in life’s small details. She lovingly made baby blankets for each new arrival in her circle. She delighted in peonies, a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, classical music, and decorating any space she called home. She had a way of creating warmth and beauty wherever she went.

Allison was a fierce board-game competitor, a loyal friend to all, and a lover of tradition. A true MSU Spartan fan, she also carried a deep compassion for the vulnerable that shaped both her career and her daily life. Wherever she went, Allison created community—through her beloved weekly “family dinners” in Baltimore or within her church and expat circles in Africa.

Faith was the foundation of Allison’s life. She loved Jesus and lived out her faith through compassion, humility, and service. She carried a tattoo on her forearm that read “AND it is finished,” a phrase that now speaks beautifully of a life well lived. Allison’s work is finished here, but she is restored, whole, and free from pain.

After completing her work with World Relief and returning to the U.S. last November, Allison treasured time at home with family—sharing holiday traditions, simple everyday moments, and countless meaningful conversations. Those memories, her laughter, and her presence will be held close forever.

Allison is survived by her parents, Bill and Sheila Flynn; siblings Nathanael (Mari) Flynn, Jeremy (Jodie) Flynn, and Megan (Mark) Petersen; and eleven beloved nieces and nephews. Her influence and friendship stretched far beyond her family—she will be deeply missed not only at home but also by countless friends and colleagues across the globe whose lives she touched.

A service celebrating Allison’s life will be held on Saturday, September 13, at New Hope Church at 2170 E. Saginaw Highway, East Lansing, MI 48823. Visitation will be at 10:00am, and the service will be at 11:00am.

The celebration of life service will be livestreamed at 11:00am EST at https://www.youtube.com/@AllisonFlynnMemorial

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to World Relief’s nutrition and maternal health program to further the work she devoted her life to, www.worldrelief.org/Allisonflynn

Anyone who wishes to leave condolences for the family or share memories of Allison may do so by visiting https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15zICGBgUdZ9mdBN31FP_H8kRTOQoYj5Cj9MhTXRcQ_I/preview