In Memoriam: Denise Flannery
By Lynn McCain | October 4
With great sadness, we share the passing of Denise Flannery, a Medical Technologist Specialist in our Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. She began her career as a microbiology technologist in 1991 and worked at Providence and Botsford hospitals before joining us at Michigan Medicine in 2016. She was a leader in the bacteriology area of the lab, lending her expertise to complicated cases and improving laboratory procedures.
Denise was a dear friend to many people in the lab. She was smart, cheerful, level-headed, engaging, and a joy to work with. She is survived by her husband Tom, her children Mackenzie, Sarah, and Nick, and her niece Paige. Denise will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and colleagues.
“Denise and her family loved spending time in Northern Michigan. In the summers, she enjoyed boating and spending time at her family cottage on Lake Leelanau, and in the winters, she was on the slopes skiing/snowboarding. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends and hosted many after work get-togethers. She was kind, generous, outgoing, and extremely organized. I will miss her laugh, her stories, and most of all, her friendship,” recounted coworker Michelle Gerrasi. She then relayed this favorite memory, "During the lockdown from COVID, Densie took up new hobby-saving Monarch butterflies. She would bring in mason jars with Milkweed and eggs, caterpillars, or the chrysalis and tell you how to care for them. She set up a habitat at work when they were close to maturing so we could watch them hatch from the chrysalis and fly away. It was an amazing experience for many; it gave everyone something to look forward to in a time of chaos and uncertainty. I know many of us in the lab will think of Denise and smile whenever we see a Monarch butterfly."
Denise was always eager to help others learn and grow in the laboratory. She took many “under her wing” as they learned, including Nic Tobin, who added, “Denise was an exceptional woman and a fantastic microbiologist. It was an honor to have learned so much from her, first as a student in the microbiology lab, then as a trainee, and continuing in my developing career working alongside her. We've all deeply felt her absence as a coworker this past year and will feel her absence as a friend now even more so.” Coworker Janet Mailhot agreed, “She was an amazing friend and excellent Microbiologist. I will miss her forever.”
Olga Bugrimova summed up our feelings: “It was an honor to have known such a great person, and we will truly miss her.”
A celebration of life will be held in honor of Denise on Saturday, October 12th from 12:00 - 4:00 pm at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue, Novi, MI 48374. Notify the parking attendant that you are attending the memorial and they will guide you to free parking.
A lunch will be served at 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm. If you are planning to attend, please RSVP by Monday, October 7th at https://flanners8.wixsite.com/lifeofdenise.
Please note: You cannot access this site from Michigan Medicine as the system blocks it. You should be able to access it from your personal email on phones, or your home computers, however.
A time of sharing memories will begin at 2:30 pm. All friends and family are welcome to come, share memories and celebrate Denise's lasting impact.
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