Deacon and former El Paso Times and Herald-Post reporter Ken Flynn died over the weekend. He was 82.
His longtime friends and colleagues remembered Flynn as a prankster who took young reporters under his wing and helped them along. Flynn, who was ordained as a deacon in 1976, was also remembered as a man of faith who performed baptisms, took Communion to the sick and even officiated a marriage involving two journalism colleagues.
“I was a cub reporter. I had just started. I was excited because I had heard about Ken and I had read his stories. He had such a tenure at the Times. … His notoriety was well earned. He was a great journalist, but he was a better friend and colleague,” said former El Paso Times reporter Gustavo Reveles.
Reveles was an education reporter at the Times from 1996 to 2008. He is now a public information officer for the El Paso Independent School District.
"He was well regarded, not just in the journalism circles, but in the diocese as well," Reveles said.
During his tenure at the Times, Flynn covered El Paso's Lower Valley. He left the Times about 10 years ago.
Aside from his religious and reporting duties, Flynn was also an author. In the late 1990s, he wrote "Historic El Paso: An Illustrated History." The 224-page publication was commissioned by the El Paso Mission Trail Association as part of the Quadricentennial celebration.
Nohemy Gonzalez was a photo intern at the Herald-Post when she first met Flynn. She would later become a staff photographer. She worked with Flynn from 1992 to 1997 and remembers Flynn as a man who was funny, kind and had a sense of adventure. Gonzalez also revealed that even with all his virtues, Flynn's one flaw was that he was a "terrible back-seat driver."
"Ken was a beautiful soul, quite spiritual, but with a sense of adventure," Gonzalez said. "He had a knack for telling stories. He had a way of telling stories that always made everybody laugh."
Gonzalez added that her former colleague was compelling in the way that he approached stories, the way that he wrote and the way that he dealt with people.
"I don't remember anyone not getting along with Ken. He was a big teddy bear," Gonzalez said.
Flynn was a University of Texas at El Paso graduate who began his career in journalism in 1955. He worked for the El Paso Herald-Post for more than 18 years and as El Paso UPI bureau chief for eight. He joined the El Paso Times in 1998. Flynn was married to Margarita Rubalcava of Chihuahua City, Mexico. They had two sons. She preceded him in death.
Former Times reporter Adriana Chavez said she worked with Flynn for about five years. The two sat next to each other and grew close, with Flynn sharing stores such as his coverage of Pope John Paul II's visit to Mexico in July 2002, his interview with Martin Luther King Jr., and fighting a bull.
"He was the kindest, funniest man I’ve ever known, but he was also an awesome reporter and very passionate about journalism," Chavez said. "As a neighborhoods reporter, he was 'Mr. Lower Valley.' It seemed like everyone there knew him or knew who he was. In fact, everywhere he went, he always ran into someone he knew, whether it be through the paper or through his time as a deacon. It seemed like he either married or baptized half of El Paso.
"He also went out of his way to help people in need. He had the biggest heart," Chavez added.
His longtime friends and colleagues remembered Flynn as a prankster who took young reporters under his wing and helped them along. Flynn, who was ordained as a deacon in 1976, was also remembered as a man of faith who performed baptisms, took Communion to the sick and even officiated a marriage involving two journalism colleagues.
“I was a cub reporter. I had just started. I was excited because I had heard about Ken and I had read his stories. He had such a tenure at the Times. … His notoriety was well earned. He was a great journalist, but he was a better friend and colleague,” said former El Paso Times reporter Gustavo Reveles.
Reveles was an education reporter at the Times from 1996 to 2008. He is now a public information officer for the El Paso Independent School District.
"He was well regarded, not just in the journalism circles, but in the diocese as well," Reveles said.
During his tenure at the Times, Flynn covered El Paso's Lower Valley. He left the Times about 10 years ago.
Aside from his religious and reporting duties, Flynn was also an author. In the late 1990s, he wrote "Historic El Paso: An Illustrated History." The 224-page publication was commissioned by the El Paso Mission Trail Association as part of the Quadricentennial celebration.
Nohemy Gonzalez was a photo intern at the Herald-Post when she first met Flynn. She would later become a staff photographer. She worked with Flynn from 1992 to 1997 and remembers Flynn as a man who was funny, kind and had a sense of adventure. Gonzalez also revealed that even with all his virtues, Flynn's one flaw was that he was a "terrible back-seat driver."
"Ken was a beautiful soul, quite spiritual, but with a sense of adventure," Gonzalez said. "He had a knack for telling stories. He had a way of telling stories that always made everybody laugh."
Gonzalez added that her former colleague was compelling in the way that he approached stories, the way that he wrote and the way that he dealt with people.
"I don't remember anyone not getting along with Ken. He was a big teddy bear," Gonzalez said.
Flynn was a University of Texas at El Paso graduate who began his career in journalism in 1955. He worked for the El Paso Herald-Post for more than 18 years and as El Paso UPI bureau chief for eight. He joined the El Paso Times in 1998. Flynn was married to Margarita Rubalcava of Chihuahua City, Mexico. They had two sons. She preceded him in death.
Former Times reporter Adriana Chavez said she worked with Flynn for about five years. The two sat next to each other and grew close, with Flynn sharing stores such as his coverage of Pope John Paul II's visit to Mexico in July 2002, his interview with Martin Luther King Jr., and fighting a bull.
"He was the kindest, funniest man I’ve ever known, but he was also an awesome reporter and very passionate about journalism," Chavez said. "As a neighborhoods reporter, he was 'Mr. Lower Valley.' It seemed like everyone there knew him or knew who he was. In fact, everywhere he went, he always ran into someone he knew, whether it be through the paper or through his time as a deacon. It seemed like he either married or baptized half of El Paso.
"He also went out of his way to help people in need. He had the biggest heart," Chavez added.
Deacon and former El Paso Times and Herald-Post reporter Ken Flynn died over the weekend. He was 82.
His longtime friends and colleagues remembered Flynn as a prankster who took young reporters under his wing and helped them along. Flynn, who was ordained as a deacon in 1976, was also remembered as a man of faith who performed baptisms, took Communion to the sick and even officiated a marriage involving two journalism colleagues.
“I was a cub reporter. I had just started. I was excited because I had heard about Ken and I had read his stories. He had such a tenure at the Times. … His notoriety was well earned. He was a great journalist, but he was a better friend and colleague,” said former El Paso Times reporter Gustavo Reveles.
Reveles was an education reporter at the Times from 1996 to 2008. He is now a public information officer for the El Paso Independent School District.
"He was well regarded, not just in the journalism circles, but in the diocese as well," Reveles said.
During his tenure at the Times, Flynn covered El Paso's Lower Valley. He left the Times about 10 years ago.
Aside from his religious and reporting duties, Flynn was also an author. In the late 1990s, he wrote "Historic El Paso: An Illustrated History." The 224-page publication was commissioned by the El Paso Mission Trail Association as part of the Quadricentennial celebration.
Nohemy Gonzalez was a photo intern at the Herald-Post when she first met Flynn. She would later become a staff photographer. She worked with Flynn from 1992 to 1997 and remembers Flynn as a man who was funny, kind and had a sense of adventure. Gonzalez also revealed that even with all his virtues, Flynn's one flaw was that he was a "terrible back-seat driver."
"Ken was a beautiful soul, quite spiritual, but with a sense of adventure," Gonzalez said. "He had a knack for telling stories. He had a way of telling stories that always made everybody laugh."
Gonzalez added that her former colleague was compelling in the way that he approached stories, the way that he wrote and the way that he dealt with people.
"I don't remember anyone not getting along with Ken. He was a big teddy bear," Gonzalez said.
Flynn was a University of Texas at El Paso graduate who began his career in journalism in 1955. He worked for the El Paso Herald-Post for more than 18 years and as El Paso UPI bureau chief for eight. He joined the El Paso Times in 1998. Flynn was married to Margarita Rubalcava of Chihuahua City, Mexico. They had two sons. She preceded him in death.
Former Times reporter Adriana Chavez said she worked with Flynn for about five years. The two sat next to each other and grew close, with Flynn sharing stores such as his coverage of Pope John Paul II's visit to Mexico in July 2002, his interview with Martin Luther King Jr., and fighting a bull.
"He was the kindest, funniest man I’ve ever known, but he was also an awesome reporter and very passionate about journalism," Chavez said. "As a neighborhoods reporter, he was 'Mr. Lower Valley.' It seemed like everyone there knew him or knew who he was. In fact, everywhere he went, he always ran into someone he knew, whether it be through the paper or through his time as a deacon. It seemed like he either married or baptized half of El Paso.
"He also went out of his way to help people in need. He had the biggest heart," Chavez added.
His longtime friends and colleagues remembered Flynn as a prankster who took young reporters under his wing and helped them along. Flynn, who was ordained as a deacon in 1976, was also remembered as a man of faith who performed baptisms, took Communion to the sick and even officiated a marriage involving two journalism colleagues.
“I was a cub reporter. I had just started. I was excited because I had heard about Ken and I had read his stories. He had such a tenure at the Times. … His notoriety was well earned. He was a great journalist, but he was a better friend and colleague,” said former El Paso Times reporter Gustavo Reveles.
Reveles was an education reporter at the Times from 1996 to 2008. He is now a public information officer for the El Paso Independent School District.
"He was well regarded, not just in the journalism circles, but in the diocese as well," Reveles said.
During his tenure at the Times, Flynn covered El Paso's Lower Valley. He left the Times about 10 years ago.
Aside from his religious and reporting duties, Flynn was also an author. In the late 1990s, he wrote "Historic El Paso: An Illustrated History." The 224-page publication was commissioned by the El Paso Mission Trail Association as part of the Quadricentennial celebration.
Nohemy Gonzalez was a photo intern at the Herald-Post when she first met Flynn. She would later become a staff photographer. She worked with Flynn from 1992 to 1997 and remembers Flynn as a man who was funny, kind and had a sense of adventure. Gonzalez also revealed that even with all his virtues, Flynn's one flaw was that he was a "terrible back-seat driver."
"Ken was a beautiful soul, quite spiritual, but with a sense of adventure," Gonzalez said. "He had a knack for telling stories. He had a way of telling stories that always made everybody laugh."
Gonzalez added that her former colleague was compelling in the way that he approached stories, the way that he wrote and the way that he dealt with people.
"I don't remember anyone not getting along with Ken. He was a big teddy bear," Gonzalez said.
Flynn was a University of Texas at El Paso graduate who began his career in journalism in 1955. He worked for the El Paso Herald-Post for more than 18 years and as El Paso UPI bureau chief for eight. He joined the El Paso Times in 1998. Flynn was married to Margarita Rubalcava of Chihuahua City, Mexico. They had two sons. She preceded him in death.
Former Times reporter Adriana Chavez said she worked with Flynn for about five years. The two sat next to each other and grew close, with Flynn sharing stores such as his coverage of Pope John Paul II's visit to Mexico in July 2002, his interview with Martin Luther King Jr., and fighting a bull.
"He was the kindest, funniest man I’ve ever known, but he was also an awesome reporter and very passionate about journalism," Chavez said. "As a neighborhoods reporter, he was 'Mr. Lower Valley.' It seemed like everyone there knew him or knew who he was. In fact, everywhere he went, he always ran into someone he knew, whether it be through the paper or through his time as a deacon. It seemed like he either married or baptized half of El Paso.
"He also went out of his way to help people in need. He had the biggest heart," Chavez added.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
