Paul Flatley

Paul Flatley died peacefully at his home in Fountain Hills on Feb. 27, 2022. Born on Sept. 17, 1934, to Patrick and Margaret Flatley, he was 87 years old.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Joan, and his eight children, Patrick (Jayne) Flatley of North Windham, Maine; Sheila (Joe) Rubio of Tempe, Ariz.; John (Doug) Flatley of Oloron Sainte Marie, France; Eileen (Shaun) O’Brien of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; Maura (Tom) Stearns of Milford, Mass.; Paul (Kara) Flatley of Golden, Colo.; Kathleen (Donald) Brown of Vineyard Haven, Mass.; and Brendan Flatley of Fountain Hills. He was the beloved grandfather to 13 grandchildren; Caitlin and Erin Flatley, Daniel, Mia, Paul and Luke Rubio, Amber and Ted Stearns, Owen and Iain Flatley and Keats, Duncan and Sydney Brown. He is also survived by his brothers and sisters, William Flatley, Ellen Corey, Sr. Mary Flatley, Catherine Peters, The Reverend Brian Flatley, Kevin Flatley and Ginny Butler. He was predeceased by his brothers, Fran, Jim, Tom and his sisters, Peggy Pomer and Monica McIntyre. Paul was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Born into a family of 13 children in Brookline, Mass., Paul grew up in a raucous and loving household full of laughter and he will likewise be remembered for his fantastic sense of humor. One of Paul’s very first jobs was working at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, one of many Boston sports teams he followed throughout his life.

His work life took many paths over the years after the early days at Fenway. He started out in the insurance industry, which is where he met a “pretty little thing” named Joan Plath, who would go on to become his bride and his wife of 58 years.

He later opened his own travel and insurance agency, Paul Flatley Travel, which served the South Shore of Massachusetts. When he moved into what should have been his retirement years, he entertained himself by working security at concert venues like Great Woods and The Boston Garden. His favorite job, though, was working for Messinger Mortuary in Fountain Hills, where he worked for 19 years. Beneath his normally mischievous demeanor was a kind and softhearted person who loved helping to put people at ease in their darkest hour.

Travel also played an important role in Paul’s life. It was during the years of his travel agency that he began taking each of his kids on a “special trip.” The trips were a chance to get away with Dad and explore new places like Germany, Spain, Ireland and the Caribbean. He taught all his kids to love travel.

As he got older, he and Joan would drive to Maine every year for the summer, taking circuitous routes where they would veer off for a day just to look at something they thought might be interesting. They never turned on the radio during those drives because they just liked to talk to each other.

In his final days he used up every last ounce of energy and each last breath to continue to make us laugh. He ended his journey in his home in Fountain Hills with his wife, Joan, his son, Brendan, and his daughters, Sheila and Eileen, by his side. He will be so missed by everyone who knew his kind personality and twinkling blue eyes.

Visiting hours will be at Messinger Mortuary in Fountain Hills, Ariz., from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 4. A funeral mass will be celebrated at Church of the Ascension at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 5. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Hospice of the Valley or the Charity of your choice.