It is with great regret an sorrow that I must notify you of the death of our
Classmate, Gary Flack, on June 6, 2022 in St. Augustine, FL, following a long,
courageous battle with kidney failure and heart disease.
Gary is survived by his wife, Eloise; sons, Sean (Stephanie) and Bary (Tina);
Nikki Holm (Michael) who he loved and considered his daughter; and
grandchildren, Emily, Shannon and Braydon Flack, and Shaelyn, Chris, Caitlyn,
and Emilia Holm.
The funeral for Gary Flack will be at 3 PM on January 22, 2024 at Arlington
National Cemetery. Attendees should report to the Admin Building NLT 2:30
PM. There will be a reception from 5-7 PM at O’Connell’s, 112 King Street,
Alexandria, VA 22314.
Condolences may be sent to Eloise at 1220 Springhealth Court, St. Augustine, FL
32092-2460.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Gary’s memory may be sent to the
Superintendent's Endowment Fund. Make checks payable to West Point Association
of Graduates and mail to Gift Operations, West Point Association of Graduates,
698 Mills Road, West Point, New York 10996. In the check's memo section, please
designate Superintendent’s Endowment Fund.
Well done, Gary. Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\C-2 Gary Flack.pdf
Obituaries:
Gary Lee Flack
July 27, 1939 - June 6, 2022
Gary
Flack, 82, of St. Augustine, FL, passed away on Monday June 6, 2022 following a
long, courageous battle with kidney failure and heart disease.
Gary was born on July 27, 1939 to Benjamin Patrick “Pat” Flack, Jr. and Eileen
Gertrude Flack (Donovan) in Osage, Iowa.
Gary graduated in 1961 from the United States Military Academy in West Point,
NY. He had a distinguished career as an officer in the United States Army
(Armor) serving two tours in Vietnam, postings in Germany and South Korea along
with numerous assignments in the U.S. He retired in 1983 as a Lieutenant
Colonel. Among his many honors, Gary was twice awarded the Bronze Star.
After retirement, Gary worked as an Independent Contractor in Saudi Arabia for 7
years, The Job Corps in Flint and Detroit, Michigan, followed by assignments in
various parts of our country and the Middle East until putting everything aside
and relaxing in St. Augustine with his wife and dogs.
He was an avid golfer and enjoyed meeting new people as he played different
courses around the country and abroad. Gary seldom left a place without having
made new friends
Gary is survived by his wife, Eloise Flack (Recupido); two sons, Sean
(Stephanie) and Bary (Tina); and Nikki Holm (Michael) who he loved and
considered his daughter. In addition he leaves behind 7 grandchildren that were
his world: Emily, Shannon and Braydon Flack; Shaelyn, Chris, Caitlyn and Emilia
Holm; and one loving brother, Elon (Jane), as well as many nieces and nephews.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents, his former wife Tina Flack (Denney),
his brothers Fred Flack and Mike Flack and his sister Cathy Johanns (Flack).
After graduating from West Point; Duty, Honor, Country, continued to be his
motto. He was a man of faith who sought God’s will, with a great love for
family. Gary was loved by all and will be greatly missed.
A full military honors funeral service will be scheduled at a later date with
interment at Arlington National Cemetery.
Assembly/Taps Memorial Article:
GARY L. FLACK 1961
Cullum No. 23605-1961 | June 6, 2022 | Died in St. Augustine FL
Cremated. Interred in Arlington National Cemetery, VA
Gary Lee Flack was born on July 27, 1939 to Benjamin Patrick and Eileen Flack in Osage, IA. The oldest of five children, Gary learned at an early age to be a role model, mentor and leader. Whether it was volunteering to take care of his younger siblings, take them to school, or coaching them in sports, Gary excelled as a big brother and life coach.
Gary attended Osage High School and lettered in football, track, baseball, and wrestling and was a member of the National Honor Society. His high school years had a profound influence on his life and laid the foundation of leadership, teamwork and commitment that he would use in support of his family, friends and fellow soldiers.
Gary received his appointment to West Point via nomination by Congressman H.R. Gross and recruitment to the Wrestling Team by Coach Leroy Alitz. His arrival in New York was a big change from the small-town life he knew in northern Iowa. He survived Beast Barracks through a total team effort with his classmates and quickly formed an unbreakable bond with several members of “Charlie Two.” These plebes entered Beast Barracks as strangers and emerged as lifelong comrades and brothers-in-arms. He was a proud member of the varsity Wrestling Team that defeated Navy at Annapolis in 1961 and sang in the West Point Glee Club that appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Upon his graduation from West Point, Gary attended the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, KY. He was then assigned to C Troop, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Meade, MD. That assignment only lasted one day, as the regiment received orders to move immediately to Baumholder, Germany to support the response to the Berlin Wall. Gary’s next two assignments were at Fort Knox and Fort Irwin, CA before shipping off for his first tour in Vietnam.
In September 1966, Gary was the commander of A Company, 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, which deployed to Vietnam, where his battalion adopted the callsign “Dreadnoughts.” Following this tour, Gary was once again assigned to Fort Knox before returning to Vietnam as the executive officer for the 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. During his two tours in Vietnam, he received two Bronze Star Medals.
Following his second tour in Vietnam, the Army decided to give Gary a break from operations and sent him to graduate school at Iowa State University in Ames, IA to get his Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. He used that degree to support wargaming efforts at TRADOC at Fort Leavenworth, KS and TRASANA at White Sands Missile Range, NM. Gary must have found his niche, as he made multiple moves between the two locations.
In 1980, Gary was assigned to the wargames division of the Combined Forces Command in Seoul, South Korea, where he worked jointly with the U.S. Army and the Republic of Korea Army. When he returned from Korea, Gary was once again assigned to TRASANA at White Sands Missile Range and stayed there until his retirement in 1983.
After multiple assignments to White Sands Missile Range, Gary fell in love with the desert and decided to stay in Las Cruces, NM following his retirement from the Army. However, in true Army fashion, he wouldn’t allow the ground to settle under his feet, and he made moves to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; San Antonio, TX; and Flint, MI before finally settling in St. Augustine, FL.
Gary’s post-Army work was very eclectic. He managed the manufacturing processes at the El Paso Lighthouse for the Blind. He worked for Vinnell Arabia, where he implemented the training, maintenance, operations, and logistics needed to incorporate the Light Armored Vehicle into the Saudi National Guard. He worked with Job Corps, where his mission was to educate young people and give them the personal and professional skills necessary to become independent and employable. He finished his work journey as an independent contractor writing proposals for Northrop Grumman before he finally decided to enter the world of the officially retired.
It wasn’t all work and no play. During his first assignment at Fort Leavenworth, Gary began playing golf and it became one of his passions. No matter where he lived, he met people on the golf course and always found a regular group to play with. He was a member of the White Sands Missile Range post team and represented W.S.M.R. at several Army-wide tournaments. He used his travels to play golf at several of the world’s most well-known courses, but his absolute favorite golf trip was a 14-day, 10-round golf tour of Scotland.
The final chapters of Gary’s life include a bout with kidney failure and dialysis and a struggle with heart disease. He bravely battled both issues with tenacity until his body just couldn’t battle any more. Gary passed away on June 6, 2022 and will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
Gary Flack is remembered fondly by all who knew him. He was a fair and respected leader who exemplified “Duty, Honor, Country.” As a husband, he was devoted and loving, and, as a father, he was wise, kindhearted and an exceptional role model.
— Sean P. Flack
