Joseph P. Flanagan III, 63 of Flourtown, a real estate specialist, died Feb. 4 of complications from lung cancer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Until retiring in 2015, Mr. Flanagan was manager of the real estate portfolio at TIAA, a national financial services company, for 29 years. He had worked at TIAA offices in New York, Washington, and Charlotte, N.C.
He started his career in real estate as property manager for the Hill House in Chestnut Hill. He later renovated a walk-up in Brooklyn that led to the beautification of the neighborhood. He was known at TIAA for his ability to spot properties that would become the basis of his TIAA portfolio.
Born in Germantown and raised in Flourtown, Mr. Flanagan attended what was then Chestnut Hill Academy and graduated from the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
He was an avid sailor who enjoyed working on his boats as much as sailing them. One of the small boats he restored, the sloop “Jiminy Cricket,” found its way into the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s, Md. He also enjoyed skiing, cycling and gardening and was a sports enthusiast.
Mr. Flanagan’s sister Maureen said her brother “had a generous and loving spirit and did his best to make sure that everyone enjoyed life as much as he did.”
In addition to his sister, Mr. Flanagan is survived by his wife, the former Rowena Dunque; daughters Tatiana Ragone, Tara Limjoco, and Daphne DiFranco; a son, Joseph P. Flanagan IV; his father, Joseph P. Flanagan Jr.; and four grandchildren.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 9 at St. Genevieve Church in Flourtown. Memorial donations may be made to the Abramson Center Lung Cancer Program, 3535 Market St., Suite 750, Philadelphia, PA 1910. – WF
