1943-2022
Donald Allen Flynt, 79, passed away on November 20th, 2022. Don was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle who will be well remembered. He was called Donnie during his childhood in Hammon, Oklahoma where he was raised on the Flynt family farm. He was quite a bit younger than his three brothers, Billy, Jack and Gene, born to Vernie James Flynt and Doris Antoinette (Basinger) Flynt. He grew up listening to baseball and rock and roll on the radio and, as a teenager, taught himself to play guitar. He graduated from Hammon High School in 1961 and began attending Southwestern Oklahoma State University that fall.
He met bandmates and friends over the next few months and worked his way through college playing in bands, first with the Ramadas, but mostly with the Mark IV. It was because of the Mark IV, he met his wife Judy, and met several of his lifelong friends. The Mark IV, and its impact on the music of Oklahoma City in the 1960s was an extreme source of pride for Don, former bandmates, and his family.
While bandmates went on to pursue careers in music, Don chose to pursue his career in science having been a Chemistry major. He initially worked at The Medical Arts Lab in Oklahoma City when he graduated from Southwestern in 1964. He was then was recruited to work at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation beginning in 1969. Don quickly rose through administrative ranks of the agency and when he retired in 1994, having achieved the title of Assistant Director, Criminalistic Services. This career also was a great source of pride for he and his family. Don was the first president of the American Society of Crime Lab Directors and was instrumental in bringing new technology, emerging best scientific practices, and most importantly, recognition of the value forensic science to the field of investigation. He was truly one of the early leaders in the field of forensic science.
In early 1964 he met Judy and, after a brief courtship, they were married on Labor Day Weekend in September of 1965, as this was the only extra day they could take off work. They lived together in Weatherford while he finished college, both driving to “The City”, Judy for work as an x-ray technician and Don performing multiple nights a week at the Onyx Club with the Mark IV. The two were married 52 years, until Judy’s passing, on January 5th, 2018. In 1969 they adopted their daughter, Angela Dawn Flynt and in 1972 they gave birth to son Chad Alan Flynt. Don and Judy both wanted and kept “close knit” family as they raised their children in Edmond, Oklahoma, where extended family often visited and gathered.
When Chad, who now resides in Monett, Mo., married wife Celeste Losack in 1999, Don and Judy welcomed grandson Trenton Paul Losack to the family, who is now 33 years old. Don was later blessed with, and adored, grand-children Bailey Marie Flynt, 21, Payton Ann Flynt, 19, Macey Dawn Flynt 17, and Cale Alan Flynt, 13.
Don is survived his daughter Angela D. Flynt and her partner Angela R. Merryman, son Chad A. Flynt, daughter-in-law Celeste A. Losack-Flynt, grandchildren Trenton, Bailey, Payton, Macey, and Cale, cousins Randy Van Nostrand and Marty Van Nostrand, nine nieces and nephews, and sisters-in-law Patty Henderson, and Eleanor Smith and Linda Chatton and brother-in-law Tim Chatton.
A visitation will be held at the Matthews Funeral Home Chapel on Sunday, November 27th from 12pm until 6pm. Services will be at New Covenant Methodist Church on Monday, November 28th at 10am with a graveside service at Gracelawn Cemetery to follow.