Paul Flanagin

Paul R. Flanagin, 85, of Jackson passed away peacefully with his daughter and granddaughters at his side Friday, May 17, 2024, at Newbridge Retirement Community.

He was born Feb. 20, 1939, in Jackson to Verba and Charles Flanagin. He married the love of his life, Hulda Marie Kimbel Flanagin, on Dec. 27, 1958. They had been married 61 years, when Hulda passed away Feb. 7, 2020.

Paul served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1956 to 1958 on the USS Yorktown (CV-10). He loved to share stories of his travels and the adventures he had while serving his country.

Paul could be described as the “life of the party” and loved to sing, joke and have fun. His love for his late wife was apparent to all as he provided tender care to her during a 15-year illness. If you spent five minutes with him, you heard about his beautiful wife, Hulda. He had a deep appreciation for nature and often expressed being in awe of the beauty of the stars, mountains and the ocean. He often pondered the deeper meaning of life and took his questions to God in prayer.

Paul loved to travel, and he and Hulda took many trips over the years. His favorite place to spend time was Pensacola, Florida. He was an avid beer and wine maker and enjoyed a nightly glass of wine while watching his favorite show, "The Grand Ole Opry". In his later years, he began singing karaoke and wrote numerous songs. He and Hulda spent many happy hours singing karaoke together with family and friends.

Paul worked at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Topeka, Kansas, for 19 years. Following a move back home to Missouri in 1976, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to start several small businesses, including Country Garden Nutrition Shop and Jackson Karaoke Shop. He worked in construction and built and remodeled a number of homes in the Jackson area. He was a hard worker, and his top priority was to provide and care for his wife and daughter. As his family grew to include grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was always there to celebrate birthdays and holidays and was known for acting silly and making the youngsters laugh.

Loving survivors include his daughter, Julie (Don) Sappington; granddaughters Christy (Joe) Gibbs and Amy (Zach) Robinson; great-grandchildren, Josie Gibbs, Watson Gibbs, Jason Robinson, Benjamin Robinson, Lucy Robinson, Sophie Robinson and Peter Robinson; and sister, Judy (late Gary) Nagel.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, wife and sisters, Elzena Brandenburg and Mary Moyers.

A private graveside service will be held, followed by a celebration of life at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6, at The Water’s Edge, with Pastor Kim Holman officiating.

Arrangements were made by McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.