Ruth Althea Flamer

Mrs. Ruth Althea (Brown) Flamer, age 86, of Lynn, died peacefully in her home surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 after a brief illness. She was the beloved wife of the late Evan B. Flamer, Jr.

Born in Lynn and a lifelong Lynn resident, Althea was the daughter of the late Edmund and Ruth (Reeseby) Brown. She attended Lynn Schools and was a graduate of Lynn English High School.

Althea was the first person of color to be employed by the Lynn Institution for Savings, now Eastern Bank, and retired after 25 years of service. Althea was also a professional soprano soloist, well known on the North Shore and in metropolitan Boston. She was the featured soprano at the Lynn/Swampscott Unitarian Universalist Church for more than 25 years. From childhood Althea was an active member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church of Lynn. Over the years she was a member of the senior choir, director of the children’s choir, and a teacher of Sunday School. One of her special loves was giving service to persons in need through Bethel’s Nora f. Taylor Women’s Missionary Society. She served as former Chair of the Boston Area, New England Conference Branch Women’s Missionary Society. Althea was an active missionary until her death.

Civic involvement was always an important part of Althea’s expression of service to community. Althea was on the Board of Directors at Salem State University, Girls Club, Inc., the Lynn Home for Women Washington Square Residence, Family & Children’s Services of Lynn, the Lynn Visiting Nurses Association, the Lynn YMCA, and the Gregg House of Lynn. She was also a life member of the N.A.A.C.P., an officer and member of the North Shore Concert Singers, the Women’s Evening Club of Lynn, Inc., the Community Brotherhood of Lynn Auxiliary, and numerous others. Althea was also a familiar face at the polls on every Election Day.

She leaves four children: Celeste A. Jaynes and her late husband Calvin of Peabody, Evan B. Flamer, III of Naples, FL, Denise E. Flamer Wing of Marblehead and Robert B. Flamer and his wife Sandra of Lynn. She was the loving grandmother to Laitheia, Cyndil, Torra and the late Rainnie, great grandmother of 13, and aunt to numerous nieces and nephews. She was the sister of Edmund Carlton Brown and his wife Pearl of Lynn, William Brown and his longtime companion Susan Starr of Jenkintown, PA, and the late Robert O. Brown and Phyllis C. Hector. She was the sister-in-law and “adopted mother” to Charles A. Flamer of California, and sister-in-law to Eleanor (Flamer) Jones of Newburyport and the late Robert E. Flamer and Dr. Richard Flamer.

Funeral Services for Althea will be held in Zion Baptist Church, 4 Adams St, Lynn, MA 01902 on Wednesday at 11AM. Relatives and friends invited. Interment Pine Grove Cemetery. Visiting Hours in the CUFFE-MCGINN FUNERAL HOME, 157 Maple St. Lynn Tuesday from 4 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations in Althea’s name may be sent to the Bethel A.M.E. Church, 72 Silsbee St. Lynn, MA 01901.