Deacon Harry Meade Flavin
Join us in celebrating Deacon Harry Meade—please share your stories and photos, and help spread the word about this page!
Harry Flavin entered his new life on November 28, 2022. He was born on Christmas Eve, 1943 in Houston, Texas to Kathryn and Henry Flavin. Harry was a wonderful husband and father who left his mark on those who knew and loved him. He was a faithful servant of the Lord who showed his faith in the way he lived his life. He taught us to always trust in God and that His plan was better than our own.
Before retiring, Harry had a long and successful career as an analyst and money manager. He began his career at Rotan Moslee where he met many of the people who would become lifelong friends and colleagues. He went on to Merrill Lynch where he was named an all-star analyst six years in a row by his peers. After many years on Wall Street, Harry helped grow and sell two investment firms, Daniel Breen & Company in Houston and Austin, Calvert & Flavin in San Antonio. Harry thrived on teaching, mentoring and being around young people. Many professionals in the business today have personal connections to him from the early days of their careers. Harry became a partner at Matterhorn Capital in retirement, truly enjoying being with young partners building a new business which they eventually sold.
In 1992, Harry and Vicki went to Jackson Hole for a business trip, but they left as property owners. Jackson's beauty and the warmth of the community stole their hearts. For many years, they spent more time in Jackson than San Antonio, enjoying the seasons, their wonderful friends, and the strong faith community at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church. Harry spent as much time fly fishing as he could muster although he enjoyed hiking, snow shoeing and skiing. Horses have been a part of Vicki and Harry's recreation all their married lives. They were avid riders and owned many horses over the years. In Jackson, Harry found horseback riding as a great way to get to the fishing spots hikers couldn't find. Needless to say, they have always had two or three horses to trail ride in the beautiful Jackson parks and mountains.
Jackson's beauty led us to acknowledge God's creation and the beauty of life. Harry's faith was always strong but in Jackson he was surrounded by a community of faithful friends that led him to become a deacon of the Catholic church. He was ordained in May 2012 in Cheyenne, Wyoming in an extraordinary and holy mass that gave us a glimpse of the beauty of the next life. Harry was so fortunate to have priest friends attend and participate in the ordination. It was truly an exceptional experience. Harry was a beloved deacon serving at Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio and Our Lady of the Mountains in Jackson, Wyoming. Through his service to the church, he came to befriend so many wonderful priests, each of which left their mark on Harry. He loved to prepare young couples for marriage, loved the joy and hope they had for the lives they were creating together. Harry's true gift was in helping the sick and dying pass from this life to the next. He would sit, talk, and pray for hours and days with them to prepare them for the passing. He gave them confidence, peace, and friendship at the end of their lives.
Harry leaves behind many wonderful memories, friends and family who will miss him dearly. 58 years ago, he asked Vicki to get engaged after a reintroduction at Thanksgiving dinner. They married on June 5th and have celebrated 57 years together. Vicki has been a true partner in the ups and downs of life and the crazy ideas Harry came up with. Their love has been an inspiration to their four children and their spouses and eleven grandchildren.
Harry put his faith in action. One of his most rewarding endeavors was his involvement in the prison ministry at the Briscoe Prison in Dilley, Texas. It was here he learned to not judge, to listen, to have compassion and to show love. He would come home and tell stories of how these men could be any one of us. These men moved him interiorly in way nothing else had. He was incredibly proud of the men that graduated from the prison program.
Harry was a founding member of the San Antonio Legatus chapter and of the Catholic Community Foundation of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. He served on several boards including the Wyoming Catholic Ministries Foundation, Wyoming Catholic College, Historical Centre Foundation of San Antonio, Our Lady of the Lake University, and was former president of the Chartered Financial Analyst Society in Houston. He also volunteered his time with Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio and the San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries homeless shelter. He helped countless individuals throughout his life and taught his family to do the same.
He is survived by his wife, Charlotte Victoria; his children, Charlotte Flavin Wills (Blake), Amy Flavin Wagner (Frank), Elizabeth Flavin Crawford (Steve), Meade (Jolie); grandchildren Grant and Camille Wills; John, Alexandra, and Michael Wagner; Chloe, Judson, Harry, and John Paul Crawford; and Juliana and Meade, III; and sisters Frances Flavin Steele (Steve) and Connie Flavin Chance (Dave). He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Mary Kay Gillette and baby brother, Joseph. When Harry became a deacon, he said he wanted to baptize and marry his grandchildren. He was able to realize this dream when he baptized little John Paul.
The Rosary will be recited at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, December 2, 2022 at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 223 E. Summit Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78212 The Funeral Mass will begin at 1:30 P.M. on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the Church. Services at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Jackson, Wyoming are planned for a future date; please refer to his memorial at www.missionparks.com for the updated Service information.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donating to one of the following special organizations in Harry's life:
- Harry and Victoria Flavin fund at Children's Hospital of San Antonio Foundation www.childrenshospitalsafoundation.org/
- Saint Joseph's Children's Home of Wyoming www.stjoseph-wy.org
Pilgrim Center of Hope www.pilgrimcenterofhope.org
You may leave a message or memory on the Tribute Wall at www.missionparks.com.
MISSION PARK FUNERAL CHAPELS NORTH
3401 CHERRY RIDGE DRIVE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78230
PHONE: 210.349.1414
www.missionparks.com