Uncle Flurry

Dancing and crooning

   My Uncle Flurry died last Tuesday. He was my godfather, fifteen years old when I was baptized. He used to sing to me in his crooning tenor. Much better than Perry Como, the members of the audience agreed after Uncle Flurry's performances in musical comedies at his church.  At  parties and weddings, Uncle Flurry would always end up singing,
    He wrote me letters on blue airmail paper while he was stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base, "keeping Texas safe from the North Koreans." When he returned to New York he began selling ad space for the New York Times and the Bergen Record.  I  imagine that he would be one salesman that everybody would be  glad to see coming. He was charming and funny and absolutely genuine.
    He met his future wife in the traditional Bronx way, clowning with his buddies on the sand at the Jersey Shore. He and Marie appeared on a TV Quiz contest, You Bet Your Life. He was full of personality. That and the correct answers won them a honeymoon trip and a house full of furniture. At their wedding, Uncle Flurry had the band leader play Purple People Eater just  for eleven-year-old me.

Aunt Marie, son Danny, Uncle Flurry 2009

     Flurry and Marie lived  all their lives in the same small house that they'd moved into as newlyweds. It sat across the street from a park and ball fields. For years  they turned their garage over to the Little League for storage of balls and bats and bases.
       Uncle Flurry had his first heart attack when he was 38, with many more to follow over the years. He became unable to work at a job, but he was always a vibrant contributor to his world. He and Aunt Marie raised three sons and sent them though college. They rejoiced as the boys married good women,  (Uncle Flurry sang with the waiters at the receptions.) They  cheered their grandchildren on in school and sports.  

Crooning with Pat, Tim, and  Dan 50th Anniversary Party

     When people first met Uncle Flurry, they were struck by his love for his wife. "I can't get over how devoted Flurry is to Marie," Judy said.  Vonnie say that Uncle Flurry "wrote the book on how to love your wife." Marie is a strong and careful woman whose literalness provided a great contrast to Uncle Flurry's humor. The family gathered from all over the country to celebrate Uncle Flurry and Aunt Marie's 50th  anniversary.  The highlight for me came when Uncle Flurry and his three sons began to harmonize.

Nieces, great and great great, at party

Uncle Flurry and Aunt Sister 2012

      In later years, Uncle Flurry became the wary  driver for his sisters, taking them grocery shopping and to doctor's appointments. After Aunt Helen's funeral, when the serious party was in the house, Uncle Flurry gathered us around in the open door of the garage, telling jokes and watching his granddaughter skip rope. Last May, Uncle Flurry planned a big surprise party for Aunt Sister's 90th birthday. He went through agonies of anxiety, sure that she would refuse to show up. But all went well, and we celebrated Uncle Flurry's 80th birthday along with Aunt Sister's 90th.

Aunt Sis, Flurry, Marie, January 2013

       Uncle Flurry was the well- loved baby of the family, called "Sonny." He was cherished all his life,  brought up with love not only by his parents but by his older brother and sisters. When he was three, my father and two of his 15-year old buddies created a float for Sonny to appear on in a neighborhood parade. My Aunt Sister  paid to have Sonny's singing professionally recorded at a studio every year, beginning when he was 16. When Flurry had his first heart attack, my father quit smoking.
    He lived with infirmity and the specter of sudden death for most of his life, yet he in turn was a steady and devoted source of love for all of his family.
     Pretty good for a man named Florence. Florence was a man's name in County Kerry when my grandfather, Florence John O'Sullivan, was born. At Uncle Flurry's funeral, the priest exhorted the family to "channel your inner Florence." O my, how to do that?