Vince Flynn, popular author of the bestselling Mitch Rapp political-thriller series, has died after a 2? -year struggle with prostate cancer. He was 47.
Flynn?s books have sold more than 15 million copies in the United States and millions more worldwide, according to his publisher, Simon & Schuster. His fans included prominent politicians and broadcast personalities, from former president George W. Bush to Rush Limbaugh, who once sent his private jet to fly Flynn to his annual golf tournament so he wouldn?t have to miss cancer treatments, and KQRS morning radio host Tom Barnard.
?It?s heartbreaking,? said WCCO news anchor Frank Vascellaro of Flynn?s death. A good friend who introduced Flynn to the woman who would become his wife, Lysa, at a Vikings game, Vascellaro has a lake place in Wisconsin next door to the Flynn family?s. ?I saw him there Memorial Day weekend, and physically he wasn?t doing well, but it brought him joy to be at the lake.?
Vascellaro said he doesn?t think most people are aware of ?what a huge, worldwide success he was an author, because when you met him, he was just Vinny from St. Paul, a guy from a big Irish family who was grounded in his values and convictions, a loyal friend and an extraordinarily generous person who helped all kinds of people both publicly and privately.?
One example of that is a capital campaign he co-chaired to raise money for his alma mater, St. Thomas Academy. The campaign, which Flynn continued to work on after his cancer diagnosis, raised more than $18 million, said headmaster Thomas Mich.
?He was a loyal alumnus who demonstrated over and over again how much he cared about the institution and the young men it served,? Mich said.
Flynn was born in St. Paul and graduated from the University of St. Thomas. He was an aviation candidate for the Marine Corps but was disqualified because of concussions he suffered as a youngster.
While working as a bartender in St. Paul, he began writing in order to help overcome his dyslexia.
He self-published his first book, ?Term Limits,? which was later picked up by Pocket Books. It was the only book that didn?t feature the Rapp character.
Flynn?s 14th book, due out in November, is titled ?The Survivor.?
?As good as Vince was on the page, he was even more engaging in person,? said Carolyn Reidy, president of Simon & Schuster, in a statement released Wednesday. ?He had a truly unique ability to make everyone feel as if we were on his team and sharing in his life and his success. We will miss the Mitch Rapp stories that are classic modern thrillers, but we will miss Vince even more.?
Kristin Tillotson ? 612-673-7046
Source: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/212135191.html
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