William Stuart Flanagan, Sr., Steward of the Lord Jesus Christ and beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully on November 28, 2010 with his wife Mary Louise and children by his side. The memorial service will be at the First Presbyterian Church, Florence on Monday, December 6, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. The Reverend Dr. Richard T. Gillespie will officiate. A time of visitation will follow the service in the Fellowship Hall. Elkins Funeral Home is assisting the family. He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Victor Evans Flanagan and Helen Sowter Flanagan. He attended Coffee High School in Florence, Alabama and was in the Honor Society ''42 and the Sports Editor of the Coffee Pot ''42. He attended the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama for a summer quarter and obtained a B.S.M.E. degree from Auburn University. While at Auburn he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. His career began as a textile engineer with Flagg Utica Corporation in Florence. As his textile career progressed he worked for Genesco in Nashville, Tennessee, and later for VF Corporation in Reading, Pennsylvania. Having completed the Senior Executive course at MIT, he was a consultant for many businesses, and loved the entrepreneurial spirit. Many of the services, which he volunteered in business included: being a Director of Georgia Textile Manufacturing Association, Founding Director of Nashville City Bank and Trust Company, Nashville, Tennessee, served on the Executive Committee of the Auburn Alumni Association, served on the Board of American Apparel Association for 11 years and was President of AAMA for two years. He served as a member of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce''s Management/Labor Committee and was a Government advisor in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea to the U.S. Textile and Apparel Bilateral Agreement Group and for two successful GATT conferences in Geneva. Over the years, he has served on various national fund raising and community service committees and boards. He was a Rotarian and a member of Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club. He served for five years as a member, and as a chairman of SCORE Chapter 0520 here in Muscle Shoals (helping small businesses through SBA). He was a Naval Aviator-Torpedo Squadron 3, carrier qualified, in the Atlantic fleet and Naval Reserve squadrons for 16 years of total service. He loved his country and taught his family to honor the rights which have been fought for by our military and to treat people with respect and dignity. He was a member and an Elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Florence, loved to teach Sunday school and knew the power of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. He is survived by his wife Mary Louise Flagg Flanagan, and sons and daughters William Stuart Flanagan, Jr., J. Flagg Flanagan and wife Donna, Amy Carleton Flanagan and Charlotte V. Flanagan Burch and husband Bruce, along with grandchildren who are William Stuart Flanagan, III and wife Tavi, Brooke Flanagan Walters and husband Greg, Mary Rose Flanagan, Jenna Leigh Flanagan, Nicholas Alexander Flanagan and five great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by family and friends who knew his generous love, intense faith in God, fierce loyalty and "War Eagle" spirit. Honorary pallbearers will be John Archer, Sam Esslinger, Mason Ingram, James Johnson, Rivers Lindsey. O.T. Mefford, Charles Thomas, Bud Ward, Ken Williams. Our deep appreciation to doctors I. Lyman Mitchell, Jr., Felix Morris, Robert Heaton and also Amedisys Hospice Services. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to either The Helen S. Flanagan Scholarship Fund, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama or The First Presbyterian Church, Florence, Alabama.