Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the death of William J. Flynn:
Bill Flynn, former chairman of Mutual of America, died on June 2 and will be buried today. I was at his wake last night in Garden City, New York. He was 91.
Bill will be remembered for many things, but above all it was his role in brokering peace among warring factions in Ireland in the 1990s that made him an international star.
Over the past several years, Bill and I dined together many times, sharing our thoughts on many subjects. He was a rabid supporter of the Catholic League and a generous contributor.
Unlike so many other persons who made it big, Bill did not have a big head. To that point, he did not go on endlessly telling stories about his accomplishments, which were many. Instead, he wanted to talk about problems facing the nation.
Bill’s love for the Catholic Church was palpable. He did regret the diminution of its prestige in recent years, but he never got discouraged.
His love for Ireland was also a huge part of who Bill was. He had the patience, and the determination, to engage elites on the national and international stage. And he knew how to win.
His wife, Peg, and his two children, William K. Flynn and Maureen Welsh, will obviously miss him. But so will I, and all of those who were lucky enough to know him.
