Ronald Flannery Obituary

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Ronald David Flannery 1930-2026.

A Colorado native, Ron was a true pioneer starting with his service in the Air Force before launching a 40+ year career with the Mountain Bell/Qwest phone company and then retiring to become a career counselor, university instructor and prolific writer.

Ronald David Flannery, 95, of Arvada, Colorado, died on March 5, 2026, of natural causes.

He was born in Trinidad, Colorado in 1930 to Afton Foster Flannery and Mary Ruby Guye who raised him as their only child during the Great Depression. Ron often recalled how much the neighborhood community supported and trusted each other during that time, including a host of aunts and uncles who influenced his upbringing. His family lived on the last block of town, where the streets sloped to the mountains. He had a dog named Buck and the two of them roamed wherever they pleased. He was proud of his Irish heritage and being a Colorado native.

He attended middle and high school in Pueblo, Colorado after his father transferred there for his job. He started university at Pueblo Junior College and then transferred to The University of Colorado – Boulder. When he was nineteen, he willingly left university to join the Air Force. He returned to the University after his four years of service and completed a business degree. He then joined the telephone company Mountain Bell and was always proud of continuing his father's legacy working for "Ma Bell."

At the telephone company, he was on a fast-track in management and sought out opportunities to work in the training and development areas. Later in his life, he earned a master's degree from Pepperdine University. In retirement, he found new passion working at Drake Beam Morin, Inc. where he counseled those affected by reductions in workforce, and he also taught business studies at Regis University. Ron loved reading and his written essays have been published by local newspapers. His life goal was to positively impact people and give back to the community which he did by volunteering to read books for the blind, working as a docent at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and serving on the HOA board in their neighborhood.

Ron met Jean Adams on a blind date skiing trip, and they married in 1958. Ron said it was love at first sight. Throughout the years, Jean was his constant support especially when he traveled for work and started a family. Daughters Jennifer and Cynthia meant the world to both Ron and Jean making sacrifices to ensure the girls received good education and had many opportunities to pursue their dreams. Ron always told his girls, "You call, I'll come" so they knew they always had a safety net. Ron and Jean loved to travel, and they saw many parts of the globe during retirement including trips with their daughters and grandkids.

Cynthia married Gordon Banks (Jamaica, West Indies) and Ron became a grandparent to Nicholas Banks and Megan Banks. Being a grandparent was one of his greatest joys in life and he wrote a book called "A Song for Grandpa" as tribute to that experience and to his life's work. He attended all their sporting events, theater and music events, and, along with Jean, was a part-time caregiver to the grandkids during the busy career years for Cynthia and Gordon. He delighted in crafting Costco-box-towers with Megan and watching dinosaur shows with Nicholas.

He loved animals, especially their dog Big Boy who was their first "child" before the girls. He cared for several other cats, bunny rabbits and fish during the girl's growing years and is survived by his gray cat, Misty, who still lives with Jean.

Ron appreciated his friends, and he stayed connected with some as far back as high school. Together, Ron and Jean also had many couple friends and enjoyed plenty of dinner parties, Air Force football games, and their favorite food was good Chinese cuisine. In recent years, he had close friends in Gary, Ron and Ted who regularly convened for coffee or Le Peep breakfasts which were a highlight for Ron.

During his life, Ron devoted a great deal of time to the Navigators organization and the Arvada Presbyterian Church. Ron taught Sunday School and served as an elder. He loved to exercise and challenged himself with running until he downshifted to the bicycle and then again to a recumbent bike. He was always on the move using his energy to learn new things, keep his body fit, and to enjoy the Colorado outdoors.

Everyone who knew Ron also knew how much he loved to tinker and do DIY house projects. Self-taught in almost every area, he refinished the home basement(s) and took pride in collecting tools for every job. Their yard was immaculate, and he felt joy in being the one to do the work.

Ron will be remembered for his outgoing nature and positive encouragement to others. He always pushed others forward with "you outta wanna" and was the first to celebrate even the smallest of wins. He will forever be known for these types of catchphrases that bring smiles to his family as well as his beloved birthday posters, and the regular "oooo-ahh" which he learned from his days working at Lost Valley Ranch. He taught his family the saying "life is a series of trade-offs" …and isn't that the truth.

Ron is survived by his wife Jean, and his daughters Jennifer and Cynthia, and his son-in-law Gordon, and his beloved grandkids Nicholas and Megan. We couldn't have asked for a better husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, and friend and will miss Ron every day. His memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him.

As Ron would have liked, a true celebration of his life will be held May 3, 12:00-3pm, at Colorado Tap House 14982 W 69th Ave, Arvada, CO 80007. The spirit will be lively, the drinks flowing, and memories shared will be joyous for the wonderful time we had him in our lives. Due to a special presentation by the Air Force, we kindly ask for guests to arrive promptly at 12:00 PM.