Flanagan, Honor J.

Description

Honor J. Flanagan was born Oct. 8, 1921, She was the daughter of the late John J. and Mary E. Ferguson Flanagan. Honor was the youngest of seven. She had three sisters; Mary, Margaret and Helen and three brothers: William, Frank and Thomas. In Rye, her family lived at 70 Grace Church St and were members of the Church of the Resurrection.

Honor was a Rye High School Graduate, Class of 1940. In high school she was treasure of her home room, a member of the Drivers Club and played volleyball.

Honor was a U.S. Navy Veteran of World War II, and served with the WAVES for two years. The mission of the WAVES was to replace the men in shore stations for sea duty.

The WAVES were responsible for 75 percent of the encoding and decoding of messages in the Office of Naval Operations. In the Bureau of Naval Personnel, the women made up 70 percent of the staff. In Postal Affairs, they handled 80 percent of the Navy’s mail service.

About 13,000 WAVES served in the Navy Hospital Corps, working in naval hospitals, stations, and dispensaries. The Bureau of Aeronautics utilized 23,000 women in Washington D.C. and around the country.

After the war Honor was employed as a secretary at the Thermix Corp in Greenwich, CT. She married Hugh Mulligan in September 1947. The couple would move to Woodstock NY and have four children. Tragically in 1962, Hugh died suddenly at the age of 39. Honor would raise the family. She retired form Rotron in Woodstock, in 1982.

Honor Mulligan, 91, passed away Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at Parker Jewish Institute in New Hyde Park.

At the time of her death she was survived by her daughter, Suzie Costella and Mark Buthorn of L.I.; her son, Pat and his wife Peigi of Saugerties, Jenny Lang and Randy Ostrander, Jr., and Joel Moskowitz of Phoenicia, Jenny’s brother, Stephen of Fla.; Honors son, Robert of Co.; sister-in-law, and several nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Hugh Mulligan; son, William( BIF) Mulligan; and her brothers and sisters.

Published in the Daily Freeman from Jul. 24 to Jul. 25, 2013.