Bob Flynn, longtime employee of NYRA and NYTHA, dead at 65

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bob Flynn, who worked for both the New York Racing Association and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association in a career that spanned 30 years, died Saturday night after a long illness. He was 65.

Flynn worked for NYRA for 18 years, the last six as an assistant racing secretary. In 1994, he joined the New York Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association as its executive director. The NYHBA ultimately became NYTHA.

Flynn resigned from NYTHA in 2007 when he was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration, also known as Pick’s Disease, a form of dementia.

“He was a gentle giant, a pure gentleman, total class,” said Alan Foreman, counsel for NYTHA and a longtime friend of Flynn. “He was totally dedicated to horsemen, never raised his voice yet commanded respect with his presence. There wasn’t a thing Bob wouldn’t do if you asked him to do it.”

Flynn was born in the Hell’s Kitchen second of New York City. He attended Fordham University, where he received a bachelor's degree and an MBA in finance. Flynn was a past winner of the Red Smith “Good Guy" Award from the New York Turf Writers’ Association.

Flynn is survived by his wife Judy.

A wake will be held Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 at Cassidy Funeral Home, 156 Willis Avenue, Mineola, NY from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at Corpus Christi Church, 155 Garfield Avenue in Mineola Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 at a time to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Flynn’s name to the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center’s “Let’s Do Lunch” program, which provides physical, intellectual and social stimulation for individuals with young onset dementia, including frontotemporal degeneration. The center is located at 300 Forest Drive, East Hills, NY 11548.