John Joseph Flanagan, 77, a highway engineer for Cook County and a World War II veteran, died Wednesday, March 1, of cancer at his home in Glenview. Mr. Flanagan, a Chicago native, was a paratrooper in World War II. He was injured twice during his service and received a Purple Heart, said his daughter, Kelly. He always talked about his war experiences and was able to do so light-heartedly, his daughter said. “As they were jumping out of a plane, one of his captains said, `Flanagan, now is not the time to lose your sense of humor,’ ” his daughter said. One of his most popular stories from the war included the time he saved the lives of a man and his mother in Holland. That man tracked down Mr. Flanagan in the United States several years later to thank him–and his mother in turn, for giving birth to the man who saved his life. After the war, Mr. Flanagan worked as a Cook County deputy sheriff and later spent 20 years as a highway engineer. He retired in 1989 and moved to Florida but moved back to the Chicago area in 1995. In addition to his daughter, Mr. Flanagan is survived by his wife, Teresa, and sister, Mary. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 1775 Grove St., Glenview.
