In loving memory of Flynn Joseph Christian Charlemagne, who passed away suddenly at Health Sciences North, on July 6th, 2020.
Flynn was born on October 25th, 1941 in Soufriere, St. Lucia. His first name was definitely an unusual first name for a child born in St. Lucia. His father, Arthur, had befriended an American soldier on a base located near there during World War ll, and that soldier’s favourite dramatic actor was Errol Flynn.
Unfortunately, there would be trauma in the Charlemagne family for Flynn and his three siblings at an early age. Both of his parents, Arthur and Evadne Charlemagne, died before he was 17 years old. The children, ranging in age from 13 to 22 years old, were left to live in the family home with only family members checking in on them. This resulted in a very close bond with his two sisters and brother throughout their lives.
Flynn enjoyed working with his hands, first working in a factory in St. Lucia, and then attending a trade school, specializing in welding. His sisters had immigrated to Canada in the late 1960s, and Flynn joined them in 1970, settling first in Ottawa. In 1979, Flynn became a proud Canadian citizen. Adjusting to his new life in Canada was not easy, and made more difficult by numerous racist encounters, both in public and at work.
Following years of work utilizing his trade skills with various companies, Flynn responded to a job ad for INCO. Although he was not familiar with the various aspects of mining, Flynn decided to take on this challenge, as this was an opportunity for long term employment. Flynn relocated to Sudbury, was hired by INCO in the spring of 1970 and retired 39 years later in 2009.
Three passions symbolized Flynn’s life: family, his Christian faith and exercise. He was a dedicated father and sibling, going above and beyond for his family. He taught his sons the importance of hard work and dedication, which will live on through them. As a devout member of St. Andrew the Apostle parish, he attended mass every Sunday. Working out at the gym, however, was a five day per week routine. While others his age would go to local coffee shops, Flynn would be at T2 Training Systems, (The Gym) with his gym buddies, Monday to Friday mornings. He firmly attributed his longevity to his exercise routine. This routine continued on a
weekly basis until the day of Flynn’s stroke in late September 2019.
Recovering from the stroke was one of Flynn’s greatest health challenges. In the past, he had been able to recover from numerous health scares, notably surviving prostate cancer in the late 1990s, as well as a serious head trauma in 2016. Flynn just always seemed to come back stronger.
During the COVID-19 shutdown of long term care facilities, two of his sons, Allan and Nicholas, were able to have window visits at St. Gabriel Villa, as Flynn’s room was on the first floor. As visiting restrictions slightly eased, both sons had COVID-19 tests and were finally able to have an in-person visit with Pop.
Left to celebrate Flynn’s life and mourn his passing are his sons: Allan, Nicholas (Melissa) and Jason (Narges); his sisters: Laurelia Charlemagne, Rosemary Vanderpuije and many family members, as well as friends, in Canada and St. Lucia. Flynn’s older brother, Gaspard Charlemagne, predeceased him in the fall of 2019.
Donations to St. Gabriel Villa, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation in his memory would be greatly appreciated.
Resting at the
Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home
233 Larch St., Sudbury
(Friends may call 2-5; 7-9pm Thursday and after 10am Friday)
Funeral Service
in the
R.J. Barnard Chapel
Friday, July 17th, 2020 at 11am.
Interment in the Civic Cemetery.
For donations or messages of condolence, www.lougheed.org
Due to the new COVID-19 directives, 50 people or less in the visitation room and 80 people or less in the chapel. Facemask are mandatory. For those who wish to view the service online, can do so at: https://www.oneroomstreaming.com/view/authorise.php?k=159477240867610