William "Bill" Flaherty's Obituary
Bill Flaherty walked into the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on January 2, 2020 following a five-year stoic battle with prostate cancer. Buoyed by his strong faith and loving family, Bill moved forward as he had done for 69 years.
Born October 13, 1950 in Rock Island, Illinois to James and Doris Flaherty, Bill and his eight brothers grew up with strong Midwest values of honesty, integrity and hard work. He graduated from Alleman High School in Rock Island, received his B.A. from St. Ambrose University and an M.B.A. from the University of Portland.
He is survived by his wife, Ann; daughter Quinlan Wood, her husband Jeff Wood and grandchildren Willa, Wilder and Finley Wood of Allen, TX; daughter Katelyn Flaherty of Paris, France; Ann’s sister Connie Lanham, her husband Rink of Southlake, Texas and their children Connor, Grace and Luke; Ann’s brother Wade, his wife Jane Adams of Dallas, Texas and their grandson Kade; Ann’s parents Quincy and Suzanne Adams; and, six brothers: Thomas (Nancy) of Rock Island, Illinois; James of Bellevue, Iowa; John (Glenda) of Coal Valley, Illinois; Daniel (Diane) of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Patrick (Karen) of Bettendorf, Iowa; and Brian (Mary) of Rock Island, Illinois.
He is predeceased by his son James Edward (Jed) Flaherty, II; his parents James and Doris Flaherty; and two brothers Michael and Bobby.
Bill found his soulmate and life partner when he met Ann. They were truly the perfect match and Ann’s love and support made her the one person on earth that could harness Bill’s energy and drive.
Bill was proud that each of his children followed different paths. Katelyn with her love of travel, bravery in moving to many different places where she would start on her own but quickly make a close circle of friends, and her life focus on providing humanitarian aid for those in need.
Bill admired and helped to foster Jed’s love of and gift for music that Bill never had. He so loved Jed and did all he could to help Jed and make him comfortable when he was home with Ann and Bill in the last year of his life. They developed a special closeness and bond during that crucial time.
Bill loved Quinlan and respected and appreciated her husband Jeff. He admired and enjoyed them as individuals, as wonderful parents and as strong Christians.
He truly loved his children and grandchildren. After moving many times in his life his last move was to be just a few doors down from Quinlan, Jeff and his grandchildren Willa, Wilder, and Finley. Bill was convinced that he was blessed with grandchildren that were the cutest, smartest, funniest, and most entertaining of any children ever born.
Bill enjoyed the outdoors and the activities he did there – hiking, camping and fishing and he loved to share these on family vacations. In high school he drove around town in a VW bug with a canoe on top so that he was always prepared to head out to the lake and paddle with friends.
Bill enjoyed golfing with friends. When younger, Bill was an accomplished fast pitch softball pitcher noted for his fastball that exceeded 80 miles per hour, also participating in bike cycle rides and running. Using the same drive in sports that he displayed in business, Bill started running short races before the start of the running boom in Portland and completed numerous events including many marathons and twice finished the Men’s 50-mile national championship race.
Bill was a nationally recognized real estate leader who was involved in some of the Dallas Fort Worth area’s most high-profile developments.
From 2011 until 2018, Bill was President of Rosewood Property Company managing the substantial real estate investments of the Caroline Hunt Trust Estate including major developments in North Texas and San Antonio.
In 1990, Flaherty became a partner at Los Angeles-based Maguire Partners where he helped develop the master-planned Solana campus in Southlake and Westlake. He later rejoined Maguire as corporate senior vice president for leasing in 2004 and was responsible for the REIT’s 30 million square feet nationally including some of the most significant projects in Los Angeles County
Bill was committed to the real estate community in Dallas, Los Angeles and nationally. He was active with the Real Estate Council, Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP) where he served as President of the Southern California chapter.
Bill joined the Salesmanship Club of Dallas in 1988 and spent every Spring on the golf course for the Byron Nelson. He served as a tournament Vice Chairman five times and was currently a member of Salesmanship Club of Dallas Charitable Golf board. Bill served as a member of the Momentous Institute board of directors and was chairman in 2013. And, he was elected to the board of the Salesmanship Club (the “Big Board”) for five terms.
Bill was a creative, imaginative and committed servant leader whose life was driven by his love for his family, friends and his faith. He loved to laugh and was known for sharing a good joke or story but was especially known for his amazing memory for names, places and details.
Bill especially loved Countryside Bible Church and greatly appreciated the privilege of worshiping and learning the Scripture from Pastor Tom Pennington. Worshiping together was a treasured and favorite time for Ann and Bill.
A Memorial Service will be held on Friday January 10 at 2:00 pm at Countryside Bible Church, 250 Countryside Court in Southlake, Texas with a reception following. The service can also be viewed live online at https://countrysidebible.org/media. The family will hold a private graveside service that morning at Restland. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made in Bill's honor to Countryside Bible Church or the Salesmanship Club of Dallas/Momentous Institute, 106 E 10th St, Dallas, TX 75203.
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