Ron Flannery December 18, 1960 - October 3, 2023
I am sad to share that we've lost a member of our Darby Connections family and a great friend to me, Ron Flannery. Ron had a fall at home last week and didn't make it through the complications that followed.
Ron wasn't a Euchre-every-week kinda guy, but he was always up for other events and even threw some himself since we started Darby Connections. Most of us knew him as Dawn's other half. Those two were head over heels for each other, living life to the fullest, just the two of them. It's heartbreaking to think about what Dawn must be going through right now.
My wife, Erica, and I first bumped into Ron and Dawn back in 2016 at The Lakes Bar & Grille in Commerce Twp. They were always up for something fun and knew all the cool spots. That year, Ron brought us to The Dakota Inn, a German bar he was helping to promote. He'd often be the guy leading the bar’s main sing-a-long. We introduced them into our Annual Euchre Party and weekly breakfasts at Uptown.
Then in 2017, Eric Stileski, who used to work with Ron, invited him to a Detroit Pedal Pub outing. They needed more people to join, so Ron pulled Erica and me into it. That’s where we met and clicked with Eric, Jay, and Rick. When Darby Connections kicked off in 2018, these guys were some of our first members and became reliable regulars. They, along with Kevin, Robin, Kim, and Jefferson (all from the Pedal Pub outing), were part of the DEM Dinner Club, which Erica and I joined. Some of our Darby Connections members have joined it as well.
While Ron and Dawn were always looking for the next adventure and didn’t make it to Euchre often, they were at plenty of other events — just check the pictures attached here. From euchre to breakfasts, Pickleball, poker nights, Dakota Inn sing-a-longs, River Days, pub crawls, bumper cars, ice skating, house parties, plays, and a bunch more. And let’s not forget: Ron brought us Eric, Jay, and Rick.
I owe a lot to Ron. He’ll be missed.
There will be a visitation and memorial service for Ron at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home at 340 North Pontiac Trail, Walled Lake on Saturday, October 14th. Visitation from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, service at 12:00 pm, then a luncheon at 1:30 pm at Uptown Grill, 3100 E West Maple Rd, Commerce Township.
Dawn is asking for everyone to share their best Ron stories at the service. For more details, you can check out the obituary for Ron Michael Flannery at Obituary information for Ron Michael Flannery (lynchandsonswalledlake.com).
Jimmy Darbyshire
