John "Jack" J. Flanagan, Jr.

John James “Jack” Flanagan Jr., 82, of West Warwick, passed away on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at South County Hospital after a brief illness.

A lifelong resident of West Warwick, Jack was the son of the late John and Helen (McNally) Flanagan. Jack was the beloved husband of the late Kathleen “Kathy” (Burbank), who passed away in 2016 after 45 years of marriage.

A product of the West Warwick School System, Jack graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1964 with a degree in civil engineering. Jack joined the ROTC in 1960, followed by active duty in the US Army in 1964 and enlistment in the Rhode Island Army National Guard in 1966. Jack’s service led him all over the world, including assignments at Fort Knox and in Thailand, until retiring in 1994 with the rank of colonel. After his military service Jack worked for multiple private and public-sector employers-in particular the West Warwick Housing Authority-as a professional engineer before retiring as a whole in the mid-2000’s.

Jack was active in his community for decades, including service with the Knights of Columbus, West Warwick Friends of the Greenway, and the parishes of St. James and St. Mary’s, contributing to numerous projects, including Tootsie Roll charity drives, helping to add the caboose to the West Warwick Bike Path, and countless hours of volunteer work at both parishes he attended. Both Jack and Kathy were longtime advocates for The Boy Scouts of America and proud members of Pack 1 Arctic and Troop 1 Arctic for over 30 years, receiving numerous accolades and awards for their efforts promoting Scouting.

Jack was a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and URI Men’s Basketball Team. An avid reader, Jack read The Providence Journal and Kent County Daily Times regularly as well as books written or inspired by Tom Clancy. His other hobbies included playing cards, watching Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and reruns of Blue Bloods, retelling the story of Brother André, and daily walks around his neighborhood. Jack and Kathy were also enthusiastic dog owners, adopting several over the course of their marriage, a tradition Jack continued until 2024. While he always found ways to keep himself busy, ultimately Jack’s favorite activity was spending time with friends and family. No distance was too far and no situation was too difficult for Jack to spend time with a loved one.

Predeceased by his son Shawn, Jack is survived by his son Craig and his wife Ann-Elise “Annie” of Naugatuck, CT, his sister Helen “Betty” Pechulis and her husband Ignatius of North Kingstown, several dear cousins and many lifelong friends.

Jack’s funeral will be held Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. from the PRATA-GALLOGLY Funeral Home, 78 Providence St. in West Warwick followed by a Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at Christ the King Parish, Legris, Avenue, West Warwick. Interment with military honors will be held at St. Mary Cemetery, Church Street, West Warwick. Visiting hours Friday, December 26, 2025, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to Christ the King Parish in West Warwick. For information and condolences, please visit: www.PrataGallogly.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John "Jack" J. Flanagan, Jr., please visit our floral store.