Brian Peter Flynn

Brian Peter Flynn, age 76, walked into his Field of Dreams on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 to play the game that he so loved. His team, the Texas Rangers, gave him a great send off by winning their first-ever World Series title.

Brian was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to William E. and Lillian T. Flynn. He did not come into this world alone, though, as he had his twin brother, Edward W. Flynn, to join him in his mischievous adventures. He attended St. Aloysius High School in Jersey City and, under the wings of one of his teachers, took an interest in chemistry. He went on to the Newark College of Engineering (now New Jersey Institute of Technology) and received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.

He met and married Margaret “Peggy” O’Connor, also from Jersey City, and they went on to have three children, Judi, Mara, and David Flynn.

Upon graduating college, he fled from Jersey City as fast as he could (his words). He would later realize what a formative effect it had on him. He landed a job with Dupont and moved to Wilmington, Delaware. He worked in their wastewater management department and rose quickly to a supervisory position. He had many wonderful stories of his time – and his colleagues - there. With a growing family to feed, he decided to take a leave of absence from Dupont to go to graduate school and get his Masters of Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut.

He moved back to Delaware and returned to Dupont for a few years. He eventually had an opportunity to join a young environmental engineering consulting firm that was opening an office in Houston, TX. He took that opportunity and headed west.

The move to Texas was a life-changing decision. After surviving a long four-day trek via car with his wife, three kids between the ages of 18 months and 7 years and one cat, he landed in Houston, Texas, eventually making his home in Katy, Texas. He immediately fell in love with Texas and became a self-naturalized Texan, often praising its “can-do attitude” throughout his life. He loved the warm climate that allowed for beach outings during most of the year, eventually adjusting to the hot, hazy Houston summers.

He was an original founding partner of ERM Southwest, growing it from a three-person firm with one office in Houston to an operation that stretched across several major cities in Texas and Louisiana, employing hundreds of people. He quickly realized that he had an aptitude not just for engineering, but also business. This – along with Brian’s relentless drive to succeed - became inarguable factors in ERM-Southwest’s success. He eventually became the President.

Upon retirement from ERM, he continued to consult on wastewater management projects for many years. Based on his experience at ERM, he wrote and published two books, Maximizing Engineering Firm Profits: Profit Fundamentals and the accompanying workbook.

He then moved farther west to Castle Rock, CO for 12 years (wintering for 3 years in a second home in Bradenton, FL) and then headed back to his beloved Texas to Dripping Springs, in the Austin area. He eventually moved to central Austin, living in the Mueller development and in the Crestview neighborhood.

When he returned to the Austin area, he joined the Austin Senior Softball League and enjoyed playing softball several times a week. He even joined a league in San Antonio and traveled on the weekends to play. He also joined a traveling tournament team, the Relentless, and played in the 70 and over team and made many contributions to the team, especially when they needed a fast runner. Before his death, he played on the 75 and over team.

He was an avid runner. He would run in 5K, 10K, and some half marathons. He would always be in the top 5 fastest in his age group, often being the top in his group. For a little guy, he was fast.

In 2016, he joined Austin Community College as a chemistry and math tutor to give back to the community. He enjoyed helping students learn chemistry and math. He would work tirelessly to figure out the problem the student was having, even after hours and help them understand how to solve the problem.

In 2017, he married Soon Merz and looked forward to her retirement from Austin Community College. Upon her retirement, they moved to Leander, TX. He continued tutoring, playing softball, and running. They traveled often to visit family, enjoy the beach, escape from the heat (and cold) and visit science-related museums. His happy place was the beach, so there were many trips to the beach.

Brian was also very active with the University of Texas Environmental Science Institute Advisory Board, the Texas A&M University Kingsville Environment Engineering Advisory Board, the Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation, and the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, where in 2008, he received their prestigious Stanley E. Kappe Award for outstanding service.

Brian was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, great uncle, and a great friend. He is survived by his wife, Soon Flynn, daughters Judith Flynn and Mara Flynn (Christopher Peddy), and son David Flynn (Joy); and his step-children Jonathan Merz and Rachel Harris (Troy). He leaves seven grandchildren, Bella Brine, Hannah Peddy, Ronin Merz, Carlin Echeverria, Aurora Hester, Lillian Flynn and Walter Peddy.

There will be a memorial service on December 2, 2023 for family and friends to celebrate Brian’s life. The memorial will be at the Intel Club at the Dell Diamond, Round Rock, TX from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The venue is a sports bar and guests are encouraged to wear baseball gear to honor his love of the sport.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to any of the following organizations: Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, UT’s Environmental Science Institute, and Environmental Engineering and Science Foundation.

Brian’s family and friends reluctantly send him off to the great baseball game in the heavens. Play ball!