Richard Edwin Flinn, 76, Post Falls, passed away peacefully on November 19, 2025. He was a loving father, stepfather, grandfather, brother, uncle, and partner. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 13, 2025, English Funeral Chapel, 1700 N Spokane Street, Post Falls, with a reception to follow.
Richard was born May 20, 1949, in Bonners Ferry to Paul and Helen Kempel Flinn.
He completed all 12 grades in Boundary County and went to Spokane Community College for one year to study industrial electricity. In August, 1969, he went to work for GTE/Automatic Electric as an installer in Coeur d’Alene, and stayed with Automatic Electric for seven years, traveling primarily to the Pacific Northwest, installing telephone equipment in the phone offices. In July of 1976, he went to work for GTE/General Telephone in Kennewick, Washington, as a Central Office Equipment Installer. In 1978, he transferred to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in the same capacity, traveling to the different central offices in the area.
In 1978, he met Caren Hiatt Hopkins in Libby and they married in June, 1980, in Sandpoint. With this marriage came three stepchildren; Patti, David, and Annette. Together, they had one daughter, Amber Janelle. They later divorced in 1999.
In 2013, he met Llyn Stewert, his loving partner for 13 years. They shared many memories of traveling and wintering in Arizona, where they met many friends. Richard “Rich” enjoyed traveling, RVing, hiking, fishing, camping, ATVing, cruise ships, classic cars, and his family, especially his granddaughters, Sophia and Avah. He attempted to teach them all the goofy things he learned growing up.
He was proud of the fact that he still had his first vehicle, a 1948 Chevrolet five-window de-luxe he purchased in April of 1967, while a junior at Bonners Ferry High School. He has won numerous awards in the area. The highlight was having it on the cover of two national publications. Rich was the founder of the local Phuddy Duddy Car Group, starting it in 2004 as a “tongue-in-cheek” joke with a BBQ at his home in Hayden with 12 of his closest friends. It now has a following of over 130 car enthusiasts.
Rich is preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Helen (Kempel) Flinn, sister Judy Frei, niece Hallie Olson and step-granddaughter Kaylynn Butler. He is survived by his loving partner Llyn Stewert, Post Falls, daughter, Amber (Eugene) Chavez and granddaughters Sophia and Avahm, all of Post Falls, sister Peggy (Roger) Myers and brother Jack (Violet) Flinn, Bonners Ferry, stepdaughter Patti (Rob) Hindberg and step-granddaughter Miranda (Rob) Hanratty, both of Meridian, Idaho, stepson David (Raeleen) Hopkins, Spokane Valley, step-granddaughter Brenna (Jon) Temes, Ferdinand, Idaho, stepdaughter Annette (DJ) Wiese, Meridian, Idaho; step-grandsons Taran (Dee) Wiese, Boise, Tanner (Madeline) Wiese and Caiden (Cheyenne) Wiese, Meridian, and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to The Make-A-Wish Foundation.