John M. Flynn, MD
1945 - 2014
Dr. John M. Flynn (Johnny), a member of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America for over 25 years, died after a long battle with cancer on November 7, 2014, at the age of 69 years.
Johnny was an avid scoliosis and pediatric orthopedic surgeon. He practiced in Puerto Rico for 38 years. He was a faculty member of the Residency program and helped train and shape dozens of orthopedists in the island. He helped develop and coordinate our “Crippled Children’s” clinic in Puerto Rico to help the underserved and most fragile patients.
He also served our country in the Naval Reserve Medical Corps for 5 years. He then served at the VA Hospital in San Juan for 29 years, 12 years of which he was the Chief of Orthopedics.
In 1977, John Flynn was President of the PR Medical Society Section of Orthopedic Society. He was an expert on congenital deformities, and devoted time to research and resident education in several areas of pediatric orthopedics, including scoliosis, clubfeet, etc., despite of being in private practice.
Beyond medicine, he was a competitive deep sea fisherman, sailor, husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Neysa, four sons, and three grandchildren.
His residents remember him as a skilled and confident surgeon and fantastic teacher. He was not only one of our best teachers, but also our friend. He put a lot of us through the rigors of being prepared for the oral boards so we can pass, and we all did. We are better doctors and surgeons because of his teaching and dedication to our program and us on a personal level.
His biggest lesson: "Always make physical and eye contact with the patient. That makes them feel listened to, important and that you really care."
