LEWISTON – Janet McGhee Flynn Rubinstein, 81, a resident of St. Mary’s Marguerite d’Youville Pavilion, passed away on July 9. Survivors include her daughter, Kathleen Flynn Kuritz and son-in-law, Paul Kuritz of Lewiston, Maine. She is also survived by her daughter, Jane Flynn Bosscher and son-in-law Scott Bosscher of Ada, Michigan. Her grandsons include Ryan Bosscher, and his wife Stacey, of Holland, Mich. as well as James and Christopher Bosscher who reside with their parents in Ada. She was predeceased by her son Thomas Flynn of Hampton, Va. Her son served in South Vietnam for three tours of duty with the United States Army. Following duty in Vietnam, her son served for many years as senior aide to General Alexander Haig, Supreme Commander of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels, Belgium. Sgt. Flynn died in 1995 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. Janet is also survived by her son’s children Thomas Flynn of Virginia Beach, Va., and Sharon Flynn Mizroch and her husband, Brian Mizroch, also of Virginia Beach. Janet had four great-grandchildren: Woody Fincham Jr.; Andrew Mizroch; Alexander Mizroch and Madison Mizroch, all residents of Virginia. She is also survived by many dear Michener and Callinan cousins throughout the United States.
Janet was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on December 22, 1926, the daughter of Lillian Callinan McGhee and John August McGhee. She was raised in Cleveland Heights and Pittsburgh, Pa., where her father founded the country’s first medical service bureau for physicians. She was educated by the Sisters of Charity at St. Joseph Academy’s Seton Hill in Greensburg, Pa., and received her high school diploma in 1944. She was predeceased by her first husband, David Flynn of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Her husband was a veteran of the United States Army who served in France during World War II. The couple met while students at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, immediately following the war. Janet received her bachelor of science degree in elementary education in 1948 from Ohio University while David Flynn graduated with a degree in economics. The couple married in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1948. David Flynn was a sales executive with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. The couple raised their children in Canton, Maple Heights and Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Janet’s second husband was Jacob (Jack) Rubinstein, an accountant from San Francisco, Calif., and former resident of Philadelphia and New York City. The couple were married and lived in San Francisco for ten years until Mr. Rubinstein’s death in the late 1980s.
Janet was an elementary school teacher in Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights and East Cleveland, Ohio. One of her proudest achievements in the late 1960s was receiving a competitive educational grant that allowed her to develop East Cleveland’s first African-American Studies curriculum for elementary school students. She was widely recognized for her efforts. Janet was an avid traveler and spent considerable time in West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie, Fla., and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She enjoyed many vacation trips throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Janet finally settled in Maine in 1998. She was an accomplished artist and enjoyed working in watercolor and oil. She was a pianist and played the clarinet in younger years. She enjoyed classical music and jazz – with a special love of the big band sounds of the 1940s. She was a tournament bridge player, avid gardener and enjoyed refinishing early American antiques and Amish furniture.
Janet’s family expresses gratitude for the active presence and living legacy of the religious communities present at St. Mary’s: the Sisters of Charity; the Grey Nuns of Montreal; the Ursuline Sisters; the Sisters of St. Chretienne and the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. Her family is also grateful to St. Mary’s physicians, nurses, pastoral care clergy, volunteers and employees. They are especially thankful for the excellent and compassionate care provided by the dedicated staff members of St. Mary’s Marguerite d’Youville Pavilion, St. Mary’s emergency department and intensive care unit. Memorial services will be private. Arrangements were handled through Funeral Alternatives, Lewiston. Memorial contributions can be made to the St. Marguerite d’Youville Fund c/o St. Mary’s Foundation, P.O. Box 7291, Lewiston, ME 04243-729
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