Anna Hill Flanagan

Anna Patricia Hill Flanagan was reunited with her sweetheart of 69 years in heaven on
November 1, 2020. She was born on April 19, 1930 in Mulberry, FL to Thomas and
Stella Hill. She was one of nine children. Her seven sisters, Judy, Catherine, Nancy,
Stella, Jane, Elsa, Elizabeth, and her one brother, Sam, predeceased her along with her
husband, John Patrick Flanagan.
Her family moved to Lakeland during her childhood, and she graduated as valedictorian from Lakeland High School in 1947. She received a full teaching scholarship to Florida State University and graduated in 1950 with highest honors. Immediately following graduation, she married her beloved Pat in the new sanctuary of First Baptist Church where they had met. She began her 43-year teaching career in Auburndale where she taught for one year. She then taught fifth and
sixth grades at Lime Street Elementary and Central Avenue Elementary in Lakeland. In
addition to her teaching duties at Central Avenue, she also served as librarian. She
then decided to pursue a masters degree in special education, driving four nights/week
to USF in Tampa after teaching all day. She taught special education at Jesse Keen
Elementary for a number of years while pursuing her second masters degree in library
science/AV at USF. She became librarian at Lakeland Senior High in 1968 and served
as the state secretary of the Florida Association for Media in Education and legislative
chairman of the Polk Educational Media Association. Her library was chosen to be a
state “demonstration” library for its excellence. She also served as an adjunct
professor at USF, a reference librarian for Florida Southern College on weekends in
1974-75, and served as librarian for the West Area Adult School in the evenings for
many years. In 1979, she served as the first librarian at Lake Gibson High School until
her retirement in 1990. She then began her “second career” serving as full-time Nana
Anna and volunteer. She volunteered for 10 years at Rochelle School of the Arts. At the
age of 76, she decided to return to teaching and taught gifted students at Crystal Lake
Middle & Kathleen Middle for three years. Anna served her community as a Sunday
school teacher & Audio Visual Director at First Baptist of Lakeland, past president &
member of the American Association of University Women, and was a member of Delta
Kappa Gamma women’s education society.
Her endless energy, work ethic, generosity, and optimism was amazing. First and foremost, however, was her devotion to her family. Her main love language was acts of service, and we are certain that God greeted her in heaven saying. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
She is survived by her son, John Patrick Flanagan, Jr. (Debbie) of Lithia, FL, her daughter, Patricia Anne Rose (Jim) of Franklin, NC, her grandson, Matthew Flanagan (Kristen), her
granddaughters, Audra and Alyssa Rose, her great-grandson, Sean Flanagan, and a
host of nieces and nephews. A private interment will be held at a future date.

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