City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Michael "Mike" Francis Flannery
Wake Forest , North Carolina
Age 67.
Died 09/13/2025.
Mike graduated from Reading Central Catholic High School in 1976 where his nickname was “Flash” because he ran so fast during track and field events. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education and Teaching – Math from Pennsylvania State University in 1980. While at Penn State, he was a Division I Varsity S Track and Field athlete, competing in a hurdle event with the same energy and determination that would define his life. He later earned a Master of Education degree from Cabrini College in 1985.
Mike began his professional journey as a math teacher at Marple Newtown School District. His classroom was never ordinary as he was known for climbing atop desks and using humor to engage students. His passion for teaching left a lasting impression on many young minds. In 1986, Mike applied his love of math and teaching to his new found career in healthcare information technology—a field where he would spend the next 39 years making significant contributions. He retired as a Lead Technology Architect from Oracle Health in June 2025.
As a loving father, Mike was deeply devoted to his children and their many extracurriculars. He enjoyed coaching and refereeing youth field hockey and had an eagerness to volunteer for the local high school theatre department. You could always count on Mike to be present in the stands, loudly cheering. Mike was heavily involved in Boy Scouts of America throughout his life and as a teenager, he earned the highest level of Eagle Scout in 1973.
Mike’s love for Penn State was truly legendary. Whether tailgating or cheering from the stands, he embodied the spirit of Nittany Lion pride. His tailgates and shotski were open to all—strangers quickly became friends under his welcoming 10x20 canopy where they created long-lasting memories and life-long friendships. Mike’s Penn State influence was extraordinary and inspired two of his children, Sean (2016) and Loren (2016), to attend Penn State.
Mike had a love for adventure and he recently traveled to Ireland to explore his Irish heritage while celebrating his retirement and birthday. He enjoyed listening to local music, having a pint in multiple historic pubs of Ireland, and seeing the beautiful scenery. Mike treasured cruising with his wife Kristy where he always started the trip with a Frog Island Ice Tea drink. Michael had visited all 50 states and had great hopes to visit many National Parks. He also had a deep appreciation for tasting and collecting wines and fine whiskeys from around the world. Other passions included wood working, collecting Penn State memorabilia, and camping with family and friends.
Those who knew Mike will remember his big smile and even bigger bear hugs. He had an endless supply of dad jokes that elicited both hearty laughs and affectionate eye rolls. Selfless to the core, Mike gave freely of himself until his final moments.
Mike is survived by his loving wife, Kristy, and their beloved dog Rosie; his children Katelyn (Uriah) Kuehl, Sean (Samantha) Flannery, and Loren (Jonathan) Huynh; his sister Kelly (Tim) Fitzpatrick; nephews Jefferey (Maria) Fitzpatrick, Brandon (Summer) Fitzpatrick, and Robert Fitzpatrick; nieces Jessica Hawkins, Erica (Joseph) Quinn, and Shannon Rossi; great-nephews and nieces Rylee, Brody, Noah, Marsyn, and little Lorenzo on the way; and his Penn State family.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents Robert and Helen (Seymour) Flannery; maternal grandparents Arthur Seymour and Opal (Ralph) O’Coin; and paternal grandparents Robert Flannery and Violet Seltzer.
May Mike’s memory bring comfort to those who loved him and continue to inspire kindness, joy, and a love for Penn State. An Irish style Wake will be held on September 19, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Mike and Kristy’s home in Wake Forest, NC. We will celebrate Mike by sharing stories, eating and drinking Mike's favorites, and playing good music! Let’s raise a glass for Mike, WE ARE…
For additional information or for service details, please reach out to the family directly.
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City of Oaks Cremation and Funeral Home is a full-service funeral home in Raleigh, serving all of North Carolina and beyond. We provide an alternative to costly funeral homes and every day we help families in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and all over North Carolina make simple, affordable funeral arrangements.
Simply having to reach out to a funeral home can feel overwhelming. Our goal is to simplify the entire funeral home experience and make the process as easy as possible. We hope to eliminate any unnecessary surprises by publishing our total cost and the services we provide directly on our website. All of our obituaries are provided free of charge as a way to help families celebrate and commemorate the lives of their loved ones.
Our Promise
Apples to Apples
Just like all other licensed funeral homes in North Carolina, City of Oaks Cremation, LLC is regulated by the NC Board of Funeral Service.
The same laws that apply to the big corporate funeral homes also apply to the modest independently owned firms like ours. All crematories in North Carolina, regardless of who owns them, are inspected annually by the state and must adhere to the same rules and laws.
Genuine Care
We're committed to providing families within our community unsurpassed service before, during and after the time of loss.
Our staff will provide clear communication to your family through each step as we move forward from the original phone call notifying us of a death to the time we deliver the urn back to your family. We will treat your family with the utmost respect, as we honor the wishes of your loved one.
We promise to make this process affordable and as endurable as possible.
State Wide
Our Funeral Home is located in Wake County NC; however, we provide our services to families throughout the entire State.
Unlike other funeral homes, we don't charge an additional mileage fee. Regardless of what county you live in, we can help your family with making simple, affordable funeral arrangements. From Asheville to Wilmington, we're proud to help families statewide.
Our Services
$1196.75
Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. We include everything you need for a simple or direct cremation. Simple, affordable and reliable. We have not changed the cost of our direct cremation service since we opened City of Oaks in 2012.
$2875.66
We offer the option of choosing how you receive your loved ones remains. Selecting our Direct Cremation with Solidified Remains option is a beautiful way to transform cremated remains into 40-60 “stones” that you can hold.
$1917.84
City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation provides an affordable cremation option with onsite visitation. Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. Simple, affordable and reliable.
$1596.75
City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation provides an affordable cremation with a private family viewing. A private family viewing allows up to 10 immediate family members or friends to spend time with a loved one when a public visitation is not preferred.
$2497.50
An immediate burial has the same end result as a traditional burial; however, we have eliminated the extra (sometimes unnecessary) services prior to getting to the cemetery. Not everyone wants an open casket for viewing or a limousine for the family. Despite the term immediate, we can move as fast as you need or as slow as you like. This option simply allows you to save money by eliminating some of the fancy extras at the funeral home.
$6081.48
We offer the same traditional funeral services as the big corporately owned funeral homes in the area; however, we cost about half the amount. You might consider a traditional funeral service if your family is looking for an open casket visitation, a traditional church service or a funeral service in the funeral home's chapel. A traditional funeral service can be altered to fit the needs of your family.
$2640.59
As an alternative to traditional cremation, City of Oaks Funeral Home also offers Aquamation. The Aquamation process, often referred to as alkaline hydrolysis, uses a solution of water and potassium hydroxide to facilitate natural decomposition.
$3033.75
This establishment is one of a select number of funeral homes who meet the criteria for providing green funeral service by the Green Burial Council; a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization working to encourage environmentally sustainability in the field of funeral service. Our Green options allow for a funeral to take place without the use of toxic and non-biodegradable materials/chemicals.