Celebration of Life: William J. Flannery III

William “Bill” Joseph Flannery III passed away on Sunday, January 5, 2020, with his favorite person in the world by his side—his beloved wife of nearly 30 years, Sheila. Bill was 79 when he went to be with our Lord in Heaven.

Bill was born in Garden City, New York, on October 6, 1940 to William Joseph Flannery Jr. and Dorothy Schoenborn Flannery, both of Brooklyn, New York.

A true patriot, Bill served in the United States Army in Vietnam from 1962 to 1963. Bill attained the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve before he was honorably discharged in August 1972. It was during his service in Vietnam when Bill was inspired to pursue his natural talents – and one of his greatest passions – the law.

Bill obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he played lacrosse on scholarship. He attended law school at Saint John’s University in New York City on a GI Bill scholarship, obtaining his Doctor of Jurisprudence in June 1968. A true lawyer’s lawyer, Bill practiced commercial and transactional law in the private sector for over 46 years. He was involved for many years in the greater Dallas and Rockwall legal community, including serving as President of the Rockwall County Bar Association.

Bill’s many interests and hobbies included staying active in local politics with the Rockwall Republican Men’s Club, and watching Johns Hopkins lacrosse and Dallas Cowboys football. His passion for travel led he and Sheila to set sail on over 30 cruises all over the globe.

Bill was a lifelong Catholic and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Dorothy, and his sister, Gail Haddle.

He is survived by the true love of his life, Sheila; sister Marlise Landeck; stepdaughters Stacy Gradman and Karlie Stovall; stepsons Matt Loeffler and wife, Stacy, Mark Loeffler and wife, Ginger; 11 grandchildren: Jessica Gordon and husband, Mandel; Emily Garvin; Matt Garvin and wife, Kim; Kaleigh Loeffler; Kyle Loeffler; Brett Loeffler; Berkeley Loeffler; Reagan and Faith Loeffler; Michael Stovall and Jeremy Stovall; and five great grandchildren: Ella and Cole; Olivia and Hendrix; and Brayland.

A funeral mass in celebration of Bill’s eternal life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 10, 2020 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Rockwall, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

Bill will be interred at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, with honors, in the coming weeks.

Submitted by Matt Loeffler for publication in Blue Ribbon News.

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