Frank Flavin

Frank P. Flavin

Photographer Frank Peter Flavin passed away on June 12, 2022, completing a full and adventurous life.  He arrived in Anchorage as a US Army photographer assigned to Fort Richardson, and his last assignment was the Military Appreciation Picnic at JBER – an event he loved.  Full circle.

For those in Anchorage, Alaska - see the Events tab for the August 11, 2022 reception celebrating Frank's life.  If you can attend, please RSVP.

Frank was born November 22, 1946, in Florida where his parents lived after his father returned from WWII in Europe.  Florida left no impression as the first-born Frank (known as Skip to his family) was soon moved back to the Flavin family home in Chicago, Illinois – where Frank attended St. Daniels, St. Philips, and learned the craft of photography before graduating from high school.  Drafted in 1966 during the Vietnam War, Frank received the “overseas” assignment of Alaska.

Once in Alaska, Frank never left.   After an honorable discharge from the US Army, Frank joined a photography partnership and then went on to create his commercial photography studio, Flavin Photography.  His career took him on photoshoots from fishing lodges in Belize to dog sled races in Siberia, from shooting the building of the Alyeska Pipeline along with Steve McCutcheon to many coverages of the Iditarod, and to his contributions, with the Old Iditarod Gang, in the creation of the book Iditarod: The First Ten Years.  He truly enjoyed photographing for business and families across the state of Alaska.

In addition to his passion for promoting Alaskan tourism, Frank served on the board of the non-profit Alaska Association for Historic Preservation (AAHP).

Frank was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Philomena (Roller) Flavin, his in-laws Richard and Joyce Galleher, and dear family friend Annie Nicolet. Frank is survived by his wife Gail Galleher (and cat Pookie), his sisters Rebecca and Mary (Gerard Kaszubowski), brother David (Diana), niece Pamela, brother and sister-in-law Blaine and Kim Galleher, nephews Brett Galleher and Conner Merboth, as well as friends from Alaska to Australia.

As a military veteran, Frank appreciated the excellent health care he received from the Anchorage VA Clinic and the JBER 673rd Medical Unit, as well as recent care from Providence Heart Center.Should friends desire, memorials in Frank’s name could be sent to causes helping military veterans or the Bird Treatment & Learning Center (www.birdtlc.org).  

Cards and stories about Frank’s life can be mailed to The Flavin Family % Gail Galleher, PO Box 240944, Anchorage, AK 99524.

A celebration of Frank’s life will be held on August 11, 2022, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Alaska Airmen’s Lodge on Lake Hood.  Information is at: https://www.mykeeper.com/event/frank-flavin-celebration-of-life-reception/

His life was a blessing.