Gerald O'Flaherty

Gerald O'Flaherty -- BourbonnaisGerald N. O'Flaherty, 73, of Bourbonnais, died on Wednesday, June 27, 2007, at his home with his wife at his side. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, west Kankakee, and from 10 a.m. Saturday at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bradley until the 11 a.m. funeral service.Inurnment will be in All Saints Cemetery. Memorials in his name may be made to the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Science Department or to the Alzheimer's Association.He was born Sept. 24, 1933, in Bradley, the son of John and Dorothy Toohey O'Flaherty. He married Marilyn A. McFarland on July 24, 1955, at the Bradley Methodist Church.Mr. O'Flaherty retired from teaching after 39 years. His teaching career began in the St. Anne Elementary School in 1958 as a middle school teacher. Later he taught science at West Junior High School in Kankakee. In 1963, he became a teacher at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School where he worked until retiring in 1997. He served as chairman of the science department for 30 years. During the last few years at BBCHS, he was the Director of Curriculum Management. He also taught at Kankakee Community College as an adjunct instructor.His military career, from 1956 to 1958 in the U.S. Army, took him to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where he was assigned to the Fifth Army Headquarters. Trained as a medic, he also served as a classification specialist and was twice honored as Soldier of the Month.He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University in zoology, botany and chemistry where he was a member of Phi Sigma Epsilon Fraternity. At St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn., he earned a master's degree in biology. From Illinois State University he earned a CAS in school administration, and from Northern Illinois University he was awarded a CAS in microbiology. He completed his studies at Northern for a PhD in microbiology. He was awarded five grants from the National Science Foundation for additional study and research at Iowa State University, Indiana State University and Purdue. He also was a volunteer at the Exploration Station ... a children's museum from 1990 to 1998. He was an avid reader, enjoyed photography, carpentry and watching golf and football on TV.He was a member of the National Science Teachers Association, the National Biology Teachers Association, Bradley Bourbonnais Education Association, Illinois Education Association and the National Education Association. He was inducted into the Sigma Xi Society, an international tissue culture organization. He was selected for inclusion in Who's Who in American Education and Who's Who in Science and Engineering.In addition to his wife, he is also survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Jeffery and Georgia of Keller, Texas, Mark and Jill of Bloomington; one daughter and son-in-law, Heather O'Flaherty and Bill Garver of DeKalb; three grandsons, Sean of Houston, Texas, Seth and Spencer of Bloomington; and one granddaughter, Lauren of Los Angeles, Calif. He is also survived by one sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Janice and Jerry Frechette; three nieces and one nephew and their families.His parents are deceased, as are his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Marcella and Edward McFarland.

Gerald O'Flaherty

September 24, 1933 - June 27, 2007