Michael Raymond Flinn

Michael “Mike” Raymond Flinn, 65, beloved husband, brother, uncle, and nephew, died Monday, July 11th in Bellaire, Texas. He was born on May 2, 1957, in Tyler, Texas, the first child to Wesley Raymond Flinn and Lola Dean Pierce Flinn, who preceded him in death.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Denise Guerrero Flinn, his brother, Patrick “Pat” Flinn of Houston, half-brothers, Jerry Don Rucker (wife Caroline) of Houston, Wesley “Cap” Flinn of Sun Lakes, Arizona, William “Bill” Flinn (wife Debbie) of Sun Lakes, Arizona, half-sister, Jeannie Flinn Furlong (husband Kendall) of Grand Prairie, Texas, his uncle, Dewey W. Pierce of Grand Saline, Texas, and sister-in-law, Karen “Chief” Guerrero of Marquez, Texas.

Mike’s family lived in Grand Saline, Texas and then moved to Austin, Texas and finally coming to Houston in 1969. He attended Lovett Elementary, Johnson Junior High in Houston, and Bellaire Senior High School in Bellaire. When Mike was a young boy, he participated in Boy Scouts of America which he utilized the skills learned throughout his life. Also, as a young boy he had a paper route, which gave extra spending money unlike his friends and started as an independent entrepreneur. In Junior High years, Mike participated in football at school and was in the choir at First Presbyterian Church. In High School, Mike started working as a mechanic after school and during the summer, he also had his own lawn mowing business. Mike also played football his senior year and excelled in Math and Science. Also, Mike met Denise in their Senior Year in Mrs. Summer’s literature class. Mike and Denise married on August 12, 1975. Mike became a member along with Denise of the Bellaire church of Christ. That following fall, Mike attended Rice University and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Applied Mathematics. While attending Rice, Mike was a member of the ROTC and held various jobs to make ends meet at home. During his college years he received a diagnosis of cancer, which took a toll on his body and delayed his studies but was able to graduate in 1983 from Rice University. After graduation, he took a position as a Software Engineer for Western Atlas, gaining experience and knowledge, next landing a position with Texaco Refinery and Marketing, Inc. In 1990, Mike and Denise transferred to Los Angeles, California to the Texaco Universal City office. Then in 1994, the duo moved back to Bellaire and continued to work for Texaco/Chevron. In the late nineties, Mike transferred to a subsidiary company of Texaco called The Associates/Voyager/US Bank where he continued as Software Engineer. In the earlier 2000’s Mike and Denise also embarked on ownership of real estate rentals. Then in 2008, Mike took disability retirement due to chronic issues from his cancer treatments. Mike still enjoyed working on cars, drag racing, woodworking, lawn work, and astronomy (as he was a member of the Houston Astronomy Society), enjoyed watching westerns, old-time classics, and sci-fi movies. He also was constantly teaching and educating himself on various interests. He was a wizard in computer technology and had an incredible mind. He is survived by numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

We express gratitude to his doctors who cared for him. In lieu of flowers, contributions to MD Anderson (giving@mdanderson.org or 800-525-5841) or your charity of choice in memory of Michael.

A visitation for Michael will be Sunday, July 17, 2022, at 1:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 pm, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77077. A reception will immediately follow services from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. A committal service will occur Wednesday, July 20, 2022, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Bald Prairie Cemetery, 9769 FM 2096, Franklin, TX 77856. A reception will immediately follow the commitment at the church building.