Restaurant owner Pat Flanagan dies

Pat Flanagan, the beloved owner of Flanagan’s Pub near the University of Dayton, has died, the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office said Thursday.

He was 63. Share your condolences.

Friends rallied when they learned in November that Flanagan had been diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer, and held a vigil at his bedside.

They also held a fundraiser, "Fighting For Flanagan on Friday the 13th," on Dec. 13 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.

Ty Camacho, an organizer who first met Flanagan in 1991, said the event was a success.

More than 12,000 people from the UD and general Dayton communities attended, Camacho said.

Flanagan had planned to be there, but could not make it because of complications related to his illness.

However, he watched the event via the video service FaceTime, Camacho said.

“It was very nice,” he said.

The money raised will be used for Flanagan’s medical expenses and support future education costs for Emma and Patrick Flanagan, the two children Flanagan and his wife Melissa adopted from Vietnam.

The amount raised for Flanagan had not been tallied, but Camacho called it “significant.”

Camacho said UD sent an email blast about the fundraiser to its alumni, and the event was featured in the local media.

I got calls from people (as far away as) California who wanted to donate,” he said.

Flanagan opened his bar and grill at 101 E. Stewart St. in 1976, and over the years he became an iconic figure.

Camacho said Flanagan was a great friend and helped him significantly with personal issues over the years.

“Being an alumni from the University of Dayton and I spent a lot of time with Pat while at UD and post UD. He had always been a good neighbor and good man,” Camacho said. “(There’s) not enough that you can give back to a guy like that.”

Information about Flanagan’s funeral arrangement was not immediately known.

WHIO Radio’s “Flyer Feedback” is broadcast at Flanagan following UD basketball games. Camacho expected people to be there Thursday night to share stories about Flanagan.

Visit http://sites.google.com/site/flanaganspubdayton for more information about the fundraiser for Flanagan.

About the Author