Obituary of Yvonne Cummins Flynn

Yvonne Cummins Flynn, born August 29, 1939, passed away July 8, 2023 at her home in Viera, FL, surrounded by family.

Yvonne was born in Louisville, KY, the fifth of eight children of John and Mary Elizabeth (affectionately known as Bess) Cummins. She graduated from Holy Rosary Academy in Louisville, KY.

In 1960, Yvonne met the love of her life, Martin Flynn, while he was stationed at Fort Knox with the US Army, where they embarked on their 63-year romance.  Martin (Marty) was transferred to Red Stone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. Marty and Yvonne were married at Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church on October 7, 1961 and Yvonne then joined Marty in Huntsville. Upon his discharge, Marty was hired by IBM and they began growing their family of four children, Martin Jr., Colleen, David, and Patrick.

After six years in Huntsville, they spent three years in Woodstock, NY.  While the family enjoyed the community and the outdoors, Yvonne was never a fan of cold weather. The worst winter in recorded history inspired a move to sunny Tallahassee, FL, where Yvonne and Marty engaged strongly in the community and dedicated their lives to nurturing their children and providing them with unlimited opportunities to grow both physically and mentally. They dedicated untold time and resources to their children’s development through sports such as swimming, where among other support they served as President of the swim club, and soccer, where they helped start a high school level soccer league through Florida Youth Sports that quickly became the high school soccer programs that exist today. Their children’s achievements include a National Champion in Judo, and numerous achievements in swimming and soccer. Their educational support led to their children’s careers in Business, Nursing Administration, Doctor of Pharmacy, Natural Disaster Recovery Coordinator, Service in the Army, and top-level Computer Engineering. Throughout her life, Yvonne was a shining example of motherhood at its best, loving, firm, and always in the background, supportive.

In addition to dedicating herself to her children’s preparation for life, Yvonne worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the University of Florida Extension, and volunteered her time generously with her church and hospice.  She also served as a poll worker for 30 years.

Yvonne fought breast cancer for over 30 years and was one of, if not the longest survivor, of metastatic breast cancer. Through the years and various phases of her disease, she battled with the traditional hard-core chemo and radiation therapies, surgeries, and reconstructions. Over time she came to utilize whatever the newest therapies the medical community could develop, often being one of the first to use these options. Through the decades she was a constant example of toughness and perseverance. 

Yvonne is the beloved daughter of John Henry and Mary Elizabeth Cummins and the cherished sister of John Cummins, Jr. (Junior), David Cummins (Leon), Ronald Cummins (Dean), Betty Murphy, Rose Cummins, Donald Cummins (Dale), and Michael Cummins (Duane).  Yvonne is survived by her brother Dale, her sister Sister Rose Marie, her husband of 62 years, Martin Flynn, daughter Colleen Rambo, sons Martin Jr, David, and Patrick, daughters-in-law Tracey, Marianne, and Gail, grandchildren Alexandria, Martin III, Ian, John III, Jacquelyn, Tiffany, Ashley, Kylie, Kelli, (grandchild Flannan predeceased Yvonne), great grandchildren Averie, Jon, John IV, Avigail, Michelle, Ezmiranda, Andeleah, Isla Rose, Sienna, Roman, Greyson, and Luna. Yvonne is survived by numerous nieces and nephews - all of whom she loved and loved her immensely. 

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated 11:00 AM, Monday, July 24, 2023 at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church - Viera, FL, with repast following at St. John’s community center. She will be laid to rest the same day at 3:00 PM in Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society or to Health First Hospice.