Norma Katherine “Kay” (Laflin) Flake passed away peacefully on October 20, 2021 at the age of 83.
Kay was a very happy person who loved life, her family, and her friends. She enjoyed being with and helping others and strove to make the world a better place by providing comfort to the ill through her nursing, serving others through her United Methodist Church activities including teaching Sunday school, raising her children to lead productive and caring lives, and inspiring her granddaughters to achieve as strong young women.
Kay was multi-talented, with many interests beyond her successful career as a nurse and college professor. She was a woman, wife, and mother of three who could do it all. She made her children each feel loved, special, and important. She gardened and canned extensively, sewed, made clothes, re-upholstered furniture, created holiday cards and hand-made gifts, baked unique decorative cakes for special events and diligently exercised her faith. She was the successful modern woman and the highly traditional woman rolled into one special person.
Kay was born in Lebanon, Indiana January 7, 1938 to Robert Cecil Laflin and Mary Katherine (Wild) Laflin. She had a younger sister, Connie, who passed away in 2016 (Connie’s husband Charlie passed in 2010).
Kay’s mother passed away when Kay and Connie were young. Kay developed a special relationship with her aunt, Norma Moore, as a surrogate mother. Kay was very close with Norma’s children Susan and Larry Moore, and Norma later became a surrogate grandmother to Kay’s children.
Kay graduated from Lebanon High School in 1955. She attended Indiana University, graduating in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the College of Arts and Sciences and the degree of Graduate Nurse from the School of Medicine. Kay went on to earn a degree of Master of Science in Nursing in 1970 when her children were 10, 7 and 2. She held many professional roles as a nurse ranging from hospital care, to school nurse, director of nursing, and college nursing professor at Indiana Central College (University of Indianapolis), Lake Sumter Community College and Daytona Beach Community College. After leaving nursing, she spent her final working years at the Seminole County Tax Assessor and Tax Collectors offices. She was able to enjoy a long 21-year retirement, dedicating a lot of time to her church, family, and friends.
Kay married John William Flake of Martinsville, Indiana in 1959 and they were happily married for 62 years, living in Lebanon, Greenwood and Martinsville, Indiana before moving to Eustis ,Florida, where they lived until her passing. They had three children between 1960 and 1969, Mary, Jim and Rick.
She is survived by her loving husband John, daughter Mary Kennedy (husband Scott), son Jim Flake (wife Cyndi, daughters Ana and Cristina) and son Rick Flake (wife Jen, daughter Emily). She is also survived by her nephew Jared Gledhill, son of Connie, (wife Julie, children Drew and Meredith), Susan (Moore) and Larry Yazel, Larry and Anne Moore, their son Michael Moore (wife Katie and 4 children), and many additional nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Celebration of her Life will be held at 2pm on October 28, 2021 at Morrison United Methodist Church in Leesburg, Florida. A visitation for family and friends will be from 1:00 to 2:00 at the church. Burial at Florida National Cemetery will follow at a later date.
