The Suffern Parking Authority has begun the process of renaming each of the Village parking lots after local heroes.
The first person to be honored will be the late Sean Flynn, a Suffern High School graduate who earned a trio of Bronze Stars with a pair of combat Vs for valor as a Navy SEAL. Flynn, who passed away in February after a long battle with cancer, will have the E Lot named after him in a ceremony that will take place on a date yet to be determined. The E Lot will also now be designated as the F Lot in Flynn's honor in a ceremony within the next month.
The SPA committee felt that the E Lot, which is located near the athletic fields behind the New Jersey Transit Station, would be an appropriate place to honor Flynn because he was an outstanding athlete at Suffern High, where he starred on the football, lacrosse and hockey teams. He also participated in the Empire State Games.
"Sean was an all-around athlete and showed tremendous dedication to the teams on which he played," said SPA Chairman Scott Shedler, who was also one of Flynn's football coaches. "He was one of the best players I ever coached. He embraced the team concept and that was simply a foreshadowing of what to expect from him in the years after he left Suffern.
"Sean went on to become a Navy SEAL and the concepts of team and working as a unit that he embodied as a teenager played a big role in his career in the military. Obviously doing covert work as a Navy SEAL requires working well as part of a unit and Sean demonstrated early that he was able to lead and pull a team together. It's sad that he is no longer with us but I am thrilled that we can honor his memory and keep part of it alive here in the Village."
Flynn, who was 36 when he passed away, was deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Kosovo and Columbia. He made an impact around the world but not before he touched the lives of so many here in Suffern.
"I think it's a marvelous idea," said Flynn's father Gene Flynn. "I think it's a nice way to honor his memory. I'm sure he would be proud. He was born here and lived here all his life. So I would say Suffern was important to him. It's where his friends are and where his home is.
"We were very proud of him and the amazing part is that there is so much of what he did that we didn't know about. We didn't know about his decorations or any of that. The SEALS are very tight-lipped. They don't go around telling people of their exploits. At the time of his illness, we me his fellow SEALS and we were very impressed. They are a marvelous group."
Sean Flynn had re-enlisted shortly before he became ill and his father said that he believed he was working toward a 20-year career in the Navy. He originally enlisted in 1996.
"We looked forward to the day he would be retiring from the Navy and coming home for good," Gene Flynn said.
The SPA will be announcing who else will be honored over the course of the next several months. There are 10 commuter lots in the Village for which the Parking Authority is responsible. The SPA has nine employees, including four staff members in the office. In addition, there are four enforcement officials that keep track of parking on the Village streets (which remains free for two hours) and in the Village's various lots. Shedler's position as chairman is voluntary.
"This is a wonderful program and a honorable way to remind folks here in the Village of the good people who have grown up or worked here, making Suffern the special place that it is," Shedler said.
The Suffern Farmer's Market will kick off it's ninth season on June 12. New Farm hours are from 8:30 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. Dozens of local vendors will be on hand. there will also be entertainment, cooking demonstrations and a whole lot more.
