Players, friends pay tribute to Flanagan

A plaque was dedicated before the inaugural tournament at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex.

Cars lined the parking lot and softball players littered the fields at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex on Saturday morning as another softball tournament began.

During his life, Cary Flanagan was the architect who brought many tournaments to Shawnee as Amateur Softball Association Southeast District commissioner in Missouri. Flanagan was responsible for bringing 20 ASA state tournaments to Cape Girardeau in the past 10 years.

On Saturday, Flanagan brought the players out once again; this time for a different reason, though. Saturday marked the first Cary Flanagan Memorial Softball Tournament, played in honor of Flanagan, who died at age 45 in an automobile accident in February.

"Nobody had the passion for softball that Cary did," said Scott Williams, recreation supervisor for the Parks and Recreation Department.

Williams was one of six speakers at a memorial dedication which preceded the start of the tournament. Other speakers at the dedication included Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson, Parks and Recreation director Dan Muser, ASA Missouri president Joey Rich, SEMO Fast Pitch Association president Terry Schnurbusch and Parks and Recreation recreation supervisor Kaed Horrell.

"We wanted to say good-bye to our friend in style, a friend we loved so much," Williams said.

The main pavilion at Shawnee was filled to the brim with family, friends and softball enthusiasts for the emotional dedication. A plaque was unveiled at the park which was said to be made by a Texas company which has made similar plaques for the New York Yankees.

"It was so much more than I ever thought," Flanagan's widow, Anita, said.

Flanagan's contribution to area softball extended beyond his duties for ASA, as he also was president of the men's slow pitch association and was instrumental in the process of creating the Shawnee Park Sports Complex, which was constructed in 1997.

"It could never ever have been done without his involvement," Knudtson said of the Shawnee Park Sports Complex.

Flanagan was a regular at Shawnee not only as a tournament director but also as a player.

"Nobody's ever going to replace him out here, that's for sure," Horrell said.

Added Williams: "We knew him as a player, a softball commissioner, a softball resource and as a friend, not in that order."

Along with the Cary Flanagan Memorial Softball Tournament, which is planned to be an annual event, a scholarship was set up in his name by the SEMO Fast Pitch Association. Scholarships will be awarded to incoming college freshman who played in the SEMO Fast Pitch league.

The inaugural Cary Flanagan Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Sarah Cook (Delta High School), Kelly Essner (Kelly High School), Leslie McNeely (Jackson High School), Tori St. Cin (Oran High School), Whitney Ostendorf (Notre Dame High School), Alana Weissmueller (Notre Dame High School), Erica Schabbing (Central High School), Katy Wine (Coulterville High School) and Kelli Wood (Anna-Jonesboro High School).

The one-day tournament included 16 teams in four different divisions.

"This [Shawnee] is where Cary Flanagan shined," Knudtson said, "but I think it's important we all remember he not only shined here, but he truly shined in life."