Daren Scott Flanagan
Oct 4, 1968 - Jun 30, 2020
Posted by Martha Reddout

©Marietta Monitor
3 Jul 2020  Page 10

Entombment will follow in the Lakeview Cemetery, Marietta.

Friends who would like to watch the service may do so on Friday morning via Facebook Live.

Born October 4, 1968 at Ardmore, the son of George Washington and Erma Lou Watson Flanagan, he died Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at his residence. Daren spent most of his life in Love County. He attended all 13 years of school at Marietta and graduated with the Class of 1986. Daren continued his education on a music scholarship to play bass and rhythm guitar with the Murray State College Entertainers. He earned an associate degree in business administration in 1988 from Murray State College. He enjoyed playing bluegrass music with his brother Chet and cousin Johnny and attending festivals together. He also enjoyed playing ping-pong with his dad in younger years. He furthered his education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1990. At MSC he was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Fraternity and at SOSU he graduated as Cum Laude. Daren decided the funeral industry was where he wanted to make a career and began his education journey at the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, earning an associate degree in Funeral Service in 1996. He was a member of the Pi Sigma Eta, the National Morticians Fraternity. In 2019, the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service asked Daren to be their commencement speaker for the graduating class and they presented him with the Distinguished Service Award. He was a 2004 graduate of the Love County Leadership Class #1. Throughout high school and some college Daren worked for Cochran’s Hardware and Love County Abstract. After graduating from SOSU he moved to De Queen, Arkansas and worked as the safety manager for Tyson Foods in Grannis, Arkansas. Then the opportunity arose for him to move back to Marietta to work as the safety manager for the Marietta Bakery. In 1993 Daren went to work for Anderson-Kennedy Funeral Home in Marietta and through the encouragement of his mentor John Kennedy, he became a licensed director and embalmer for the state of Oklahoma in 1996. Daren worked for Kennedy Funeral Home until 2000 when the Watts Family purchased the funeral home and he became managing partner and FDIC of Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home. The Kennedy/Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home is the only funeral home that Daren ever worked at for 27 years. In 2001, he became owner/operator of Flanagan Monument Sales of Marietta. Daren strived for excellence and perfection in everything he did. Daren was a very active member of various organizations within the Love County community, the funeral industry, and other various organizations. The commitment he had for supporting his community is one to be admired. He was a member of the Marietta Lions Club since 1997 and was a three-term club president, Lion of the Year award recipient for three years, and Outstanding Lion for two years. Daren was a member of the Love County Chamber of Commerce serving two terms as a board member and one as president. Some of the other organizations he has been a part of were the Love County United Way Drive Chair for six years, Marietta Public Works Authority Board for one term, Love County Health Center Foundation board member, Love County Emergency Food and Shelter Program vice president for one term, and member of the Lakeview/Prairieview Cemetery Board with the City of Marietta. Being an avid outdoorsman, he was also a member of the Marietta Rod and Gun Club serving as president for two terms and several terms as a board member. He was a sponsor and member of the National Rifle Association and sponsor and member of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) and the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association (OKFDA). Since 2011, Daren has been on the board of the OKFDA in some capacity. He was the District V Chairman, District V Governor for three years, secretary/treasurer, vice-president, president-elect and in 2019-2020 he was the president. The most important membership he was a part of was Eastside Baptist Church, Marietta. Daren had many hobbies he enjoyed such as hunting, fishing, collection oil/gas/automotive signs, yardwork, and riding his motorcycle. In 2013, he was able to mark off an item on his bucket list by attending the Sturgis Bike Rally. He was an avid fan of OU Football, Dallas Cowboys, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Daren had a passion for music and loved to attend concerts. If you have ever visited his office you could tell what passions he had in life between his kids, hunting, concerts, and the funeral industry.

Daren was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents.

Survivors include his daughter, Kaylee Scott Flanagan of Kiowa; son, Mathew Davis Flanagan and fiancée Lexie of Norman; his parents, G.W. and Erma Flanagan of Marietta; two brothers, Chris Flanagan and wife Tricia of Marietta and Chet Flanagan of the Greenville community; twin nephews, Justin Flanagan and wife Christian of Edmond and Dustin Flanagan and wife Jamie of Pauls Valley; niece, Kortney Flanagan of Norman; and great-niece and great-nephew, Hattie and Hayes.

Serving as pallbearers will be Scott Hays, Johnny Bone, Sam Barrick, Richard Barker, Brent Hartin and Pancho Flores. Honorary bearers will be the Watts Family, Francisco (Pancho) Flores Family, Nick Kurz, Burk Ozbirn, Terry Vernon, Dustin Scott, Nic McMillin, Danny Hays and OKFDA Family.

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Eastside Baptist Church of Marietta “Long Range Vision Fund.”

A time of viewing for family and friends will be from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday, July 2 at the funeral home.

Online guest book: wattsfuneralhome.com Flanagan-Watts

A photo of Daren was included with this obituary.