Flynn, William Frederick (Bill)

   Cause of his death was heart attack.

  General Notes:

24 july 2007
For once there was no applause.

At his memorial service the measure of William Frederick Flynn, the universally loved stage, television and film actor, was taken in copious tears, warm anecdotes and plenty of laughter.

The theatre community turned out in droves on the lawns of the Johannesburg Country Club, in Auckland Park, on Monday morning to honour a colleague and friend. The Johannesburg memorial was preceded, on Friday, by a service at the Plumstead Methodist Church in Cape Town, Flynn's home town.

Hundreds of emotional actors, directors, producers, writers and friends had come to pay their respects to the 58-year-old actor who died in his Johannesburg home, reportedly of a heart attack, on July 11.

Actor and master of ceremonies Michael Richard described Flynn as "an actor, singer clown and friend".

The tranquil outdoor venue chosen for the service, as opposed to a theatre, came as a surprise only to people not close to this comic genius, who was described as a quiet and very private man, not an ordinary thespian.

After the Reverend Tim Gray led the more formal proceedings, close friends Bruce Miller and Tim Plewman paid their respects "to an oke of note" and to Flynn's longtime collaborator and playwright Paul Slabolepszy.

Slabolepszy, who wore his friend's Plumstead High School tie draped around his shoulders, said "Bill touched all our lives".

It was quite evident that Flynn's personality and artistry not only bridged South Africa's many cultural divides but that he was deeply respected as an artist and a man of integrity.

The service was attended by his widow Jana Cilliers, an actress, and Flynn's first wife Anne Power, who is also an actress and the mother of Bill's 23-year-old son Ryan. Ryan delivered a moving eulogy

William married Anne Power.

William next married Jana Cilliers.