Former Kentucky state senator, Lexington councilman Bobby Flynn has died

Bobby Flynn, a former state senator and Lexington councilman who was also a fixture in Lexington sports circles, died Thursday.

Flynn was 95, according to his obituary.

Flynn was born in Lexington and attended Lafayette High School. He attended Dayton University on a basketball scholarship. He was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers and was the first white player to play on a semi-professional African-American league team.

Flynn also served in the U.S. Army and the Merchant Marine.

He served in the Kentucky State Senate from 1968 to 1972. He also served for 12 years on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council from 1988 to 1996. He worked for 30 years for Jefferson Pilot selling insurance.

He was also the longtime manager of press row at Rupp Arena. He also had stints at Keeneland and with the former Lexington Legends. He also volunteered at various Kentucky High School Athletic Association games.

His long-time support of Lexington sports made him both well-known and well-liked.

The annual Bluegrass Sports Awards volunteer of the year award is named after Flynn.

Flynn was also a longtime volunteer in the community. He served as a deacon at Grace Baptist Church. He lived at Sayre Christian Village in his later years and in 2020 received a lifetime achievement award for his commitment to service and community.

“He would often pick up hitchhikers and give them money and sometimes the coat off his back. He sacrificed his own pleasures to make sure others could have a meal or helped if they needed ANYTHING,” according to the Sayre website.

“He volunteered at sporting events all over town because of his love of sports and love of helping and being around people,” the website said. “As a politician his home phone (no cell phones) would continuously ring and he would try his very best to fix the problem. Bobby always made people feel special, as though he had known them his whole life.”

Alan Stein, former president of the Lexington Legends, said Flynn was a constant in his life since he played Little League with Flynn’s kids.

“Then as I got older and began to realize and I got more into the history of baseball in Lexington and found out, which I didn’t even know, he was such a humble guy, his place in history, not just in Lexington but in the integration of baseball, that whole period of time,” Stein said.

Stein said Flynn was an extraordinary ambassador for the Legends during his more than decade with the organization.

“He was just a joy to be around,” Stein said. “Bobby was one of those guys who was easy to have as a hero.”

In addition to playing professional baseball, Flynn was also an excellent golfer. He was the senior golf champion in Lexington for 15 years in a row.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman Richard Moloney has known Flynn for 50 years. The two served on council together and were frequent golf partners.

“I could never beat him in golf,” Moloney joked. “I would constantly kid him: ‘I don’t know why we are still friends.’”

Moloney said Flynn volunteered at many KHSAA events. “He always had candy with him to throw into the stands or give to people,” Moloney said. “He was Mr. Kentucky. He was Mr. Everything. He really was amazing.”

Moloney said in his later years, Flynn kept busy. He was a self-taught pianist.

“He would still go down and play the piano at Sayre,” Moloney said.

He was married for 76 years to his wife, Ella Flynn.

Flynn is survived by his sons Brad and Doug.

Doug Flynn played professional baseball from 1975 to 1985. He was an infielder for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos and Detroit Tigers. The younger Flynn was also a broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds and has served as host for KET’s “Kentucky Life.”

Dick Gabriel, radio show host at WLAP and also broadcasts UK baseball games with Doug Flynn, said the Flynns were humble about their athletic prowess but proud of each other.

“Bobby could not have been prouder of his two sons Brad and Doug. And I think Doug was prouder of Bobby’s abilities as an athlete. He always told me his father was a better athlete than he was – the guy with two World Series rings and a gold glove.”

Tragically, Flynn’s daughter, Melanie Flynn, went missing in 1977. She was last seen leaving her job at the KHSAA on Cooper Drive. Her disappearance has never been solved.

Funeral services will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kerr Brothers on Harrodsburg Road with Pastor Steven R. Price officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park, according to Kerr Brothers.

Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Monday and 12:30 p.m. till the service on Tuesday at the funeral home.