We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of College Legend & retired Surgeon Commodore (P) Dr Michael John Flynn (SPC 1956-63), who forged a remarkable career as a medic and aviator in the Royal Australian Navy, helping countless people in war and disaster zones around the world.
Michael passed away unexpectedly in Sydney on 13 October, 2026, at the age of 79. Michael’s funeral is to be held with full Naval honours on Friday, 13 November at 2pm at HMAS Watson Naval Chapel, in Watsons Bay and will be livestreamed via this link here
Our deepest condolences to his wife of 54 years, Caroline, their children, Alethea, John and Nicholas and their extended family.
Michael was the devoted son of John and Margaret (both dec) and loving brother and brother-in-law of Margaret and Frank, Elizabeth and Robbie, Bernadette and Michael, Maureen and Michael, Charles (SPC 1971-73) and Karen, Joan and Andrew, and James (SPC 1977-78) and Robin.
In loving tributes, his family described Michael as “a man of wisdom and compassion”, whose life was dedicated to “country, duty, honour and family”.
Michael attended SPC between 1956 and 1963, following in the footsteps of his father John (SPC 1925) and grandfather Charles (SPC 1902-03).
Michael was clearly a talented student, receiving numerous scholarships and scholastic prizes during his time at SPC. He played in the Under 13 XVIII and Thirds football teams and was a member of the winning 1963 Drill Platoon.
Michael graduated from the University of Melbourne in Medicine in 1969, and joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Surgeon Lieutenant, having been “drafted” into the Defence Forces in the Vietnam era birthday ballots.
Michael attained postgraduate qualifications in General Practice (Kent-Hughes medallist), Obstetrics, Occupational Medicine, Venereal Diseases (University of Liverpool UK) and Aviation Medicine.
He also qualified as a Naval Aviator in both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, and as a United States Navy Flight Surgeon. Michael served on exchange and secondment with the United States Navy, the Royal Navy, where he was appointed Senior Medical Officer, RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (Manus Island, PNG).
Michael saw operational service in the Gulf War in 1991, and East Timor in 2000, and in 2004, he led the first combined surgical support team from Australia to Banda Aceh, in the immediate aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami that devastated the province of Indonesia.
Michael became interested in the management of Returned Prisoners of War during his appointment as a Flight Surgeon at USN experimental fighter Squadron VX4 (Pt Mugu Ca) after his then Commanding Officer had only recently been released after nearly seven years in the “Hanoi Hilton”.
As Officer in Charge of the Australian Tri-service Medical Support Element, he embarked in the Hospital Ship USNS Comfort for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf in 1991 and was instrumental in writing protocols for the medical management of returned prisoners of war.
For his leadership roles abroad USNS Comfort, Michael was awarded a United States Navy, Secretary of the Navy’s Commendation.
He retired from full-time service in 1998 in the rank of Commodore, after serving as Director General Naval Health Services and Director General Corporate Health Services.
He was then appointed as the New South Wales director of counter disaster health planning, and state medical controller in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
From 2001 to 2006, Michael also served as medical director of the Ambulance Service of New South Wales.
Michael was inducted as a College Legend in 2019 in honour of his contributions, which can be viewed here
In moving tributes following his passing, colleagues and friends have remembered Michael’s achievements as “significant and lasting” and a “way to a life of service and love of country”.
“(He was) a fine colleague and friend with a love of history and a well-judged adventure.”
