Remembering
Nora Flynn
1995 – 2021
We Love You, Nora
It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nora Flynn. Nora was bright, compassionate, energetic, and wise beyond her years. In her short quarter century on this earth, Nora touched the lives of so many colleagues at DRP, Craig Lawson & Co., and the City of West Hollywood. She had many devoted friends in her hometown of Naperville, Illinois; at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and in Los Angeles, where she attended graduate school at USC, launched her career, and put down roots. She was loved deeply by her parents Charlie and Monica, her brother Liam, and her two dogs. Nora knew from a young age that she wanted to be an urban planner, and had dreams of attending law school and practicing land use law. She was passionate about affordable housing, and was always trusted with the most complex cases. Though she was motivated and took her work very seriously, Nora was also lighthearted and was able to see the humor in any situation. She loved chocolate M&Ms, public transportation, traveling, and the K-pop supergroup BTS. No matter what situation she was in, Nora always showed up fully and unapologetically as herself. Her influence is widely felt, and she will be dearly missed.
Nora Presentsโฆ
Donations
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions to the Women’s Global Education Project. Their mission is to educate girls in Africa with the idea that if they keep girls in school they will be equipped to build a more stable and successful life for themselves, their families, and their communities. Donate here.
Good Times With Co-Workers
Messages About Nora
11 entries.
wrote on March 11, 2021
at
7:13 pm
Thank you for being a part of my life. I cry not for what was but what was going to be with the two of us. Youโre always in my heart. I love and miss you.
wrote on March 9, 2021
at
2:18 pm
Nora, you are in my thoughts and I will miss you dearly. Since we were hired around the same time among a handful of employees, we were fortunate enough to learn about the County together and celebrate milestones together. Getting through the day with you was effortless and fun, and I won't ever forget the profuse gratitude you had when I offered to drive us to Antelope Valley! You were unapologetically you- it was refreshing and you always had a positive air about you. You also were very encouraging when I sheepishly told you about the k-pop groups I liked that were before your time, and yes I started to listen to BTS some more because of you! It made my day when we had time for lunch or just to grab milk tea to chit chat. You were painfully honest and real, and it didn't matter what others thought. You knew yourself so well at such a young age and I'm grateful for the time we had with you. Thank you for being a great work friend. Be at peace.
์ฌํธ์๋ ๋ค๊ฒ ๋ณต์ ์ฃผ์๊ณ ๋๋ฅผ ์งํค์๊ธฐ๋ฅผ ์ํ๋ฉฐ.
wrote on March 8, 2021
at
7:30 pm
Nora, I am glad to have met a person as joyful and full of life as you. It's difficult to understand that I, along with anyone else who knew you, will no longer have the opportunity to create new memories or experiences with you. I'm also going to miss your company when I go on bike rides to the beach; I will never forget how you hung in there during the couple of bike rides we went on (despite how uncomfortable your bike seat was). I knew you were passionate about planning and I am glad I was able to expose you to different places and views in LA so that you take those memories with you. I am thankful for all the memories that you leave me with, and I choose to believe that you are in a better place now. Thank You for your friendship, and for the positive impacts you made at DRP.
wrote on March 5, 2021
at
9:31 pm
I'll always remember Nora being a friendly and approachable person. I'd pass by her cubicle or see her in the hallway and we'd take a few moments to share work experiences and catch up on life. She had so much going for her. Nora was excelling in her career and discovering life in the City. We will all miss her cheerfulness and energy around the office. Rest easy Nora, you've left a positive mark in all of our lives.
wrote on March 5, 2021
at
1:13 pm
Dear Nora,
I've trained several planners at DRP and I can always tell a lot by the kinds of questions planners ask. I knew you were sharp on day one and I am thankful I worked with you so closely on the most complex cases at LDCC. I trusted you with the affordable housing projects entirely and seeing your name cc'd on our emails has been really tough the last two weeks. I was also 25 when I stated at DRP and
I am thankful I got to know you outside of work and take you to our favorite go-to late night sushi place in ktown. I am glad that you agreed to go on a walk with me that one day just because I wanted you to see our mixed use and commercial standards on the ground lol! I'm proud of you for covering the Field Offices even though you were totally afraid of driving long distances. I'll think of you when we visit Chicago and I'm looking forward to seeing that Midwest tree canopy we talked about. I trust you are looking out for all of us and we will see you again someday.
wrote on March 4, 2021
at
5:04 pm
Nora was working with Systems to pick up a new computer. We prepped it for pick up. She canceled and planned to pick it up the following week, but then she passed. Now Systems feels guilty giving out that computer. We actually tried to give it to someone else but they felt guilty for taking it also. I feel like we should put flowers on it and just hold it for a while. She will be missed.
To Nora's Family, This loss has devastated us all. Our thoughts are with you during this trying time.
-LA County Dept of Regional Planning's System Analysis Section
wrote on March 4, 2021
at
1:06 pm
I met Nora during the early part of the pandemic through my sister, Michelle. We had only connected through text messages and Instagram (because of COVID) because we both loved BTS so much. It was from there, that a friendship formed and it was one of the best connections I've had because I didn't have a lot of friends that loved or cared for BTS as much as me. The shared text messages late at night during BTS live concerts or appearances in Korea at 1 am in the morning with her comments of "Why am I still awake?", the random text from Nora asking "Name your 10 favorite songs from the rapline not including solo projects" to "OMG! Why am I screaming over this latest video from Jungkook?" , to me texting her "I'm on my way to the BT21 store because they're having a sale, wanna go?" to which she replied "Oh my god, yes!" ... these are just some of the things I will truly miss. Nora was one of the sweetest and most kind hearted people I know. I am lost for words and still can't fathom that she is no longer a text message away. She had so much life and for those who haven't met her, they will be missing out on someone amazing that we were all lucky to know. You will always be in my thoughts, my forever ARMY friend. Borahae ๋ณด๋ผ ํด! <3
wrote on March 4, 2021
at
11:35 am
This pandemic really changed how we interact with people. I got to know Nora slowly over sporadic happy hours I've attended and then through our short 5 min walk from the office to the parking garage at the end of every work day. I knew she was a cool and fun loving person through other coworkers who were closer to her. She reminded me of myself when I started working at the County at 25. I wish we had more time in person to get to know each other but sadly the pandemic changed that first. I remember how excited she got when I told her that our biologist will be inspecting BTS' music video shoot. She checked out the APN in GIS-NET and promptly sent me the link to the music video when it was released. I thought about contacting her in February to see if she was going to watch the BlackPink virtual concert, since she was the only other person I knew who was into K-pop but I didn't. My lost chance to connect with Nora is a daily reminder that we should take more effort to reconnect with our friends and family, especially during these isolating times. We'll miss you, Nora!
wrote on March 4, 2021
at
8:15 am
Nora, you are entirely missed. Early on we were able to build an easy camaraderie being newer members of the department and then we bonded over lunches, milk-tea walks, zoning permits questions, sharing k-pop songs, cubicle visits, outings, and many evenings waiting at the Civic Center Metro platform for the Redline Rail. I enjoyed your cheerful personality, especially when your face lit up talking about BTS and visiting Korea. And the more I got to know you, I was impressed by your openness and curiosity. We may have disagreed on who was the cutest BTS member and best Black Pink member, but needless to say your presence at the department and in my personal life meant a lot to me and I wish I had a chance to communicate that to you. RIP.
wrote on March 3, 2021
at
9:53 pm
Nora, I'll never forget the day when you walked into my office for your selection interview. I can count on one hand the number of planners that I've felt compelled to offer employment after just one interview; count yourself among that group of five. I remember telling Amy "this one is special and we need to get her on board as soon as possible." Little did I know the profound impact you'd have on our DRP family in such a short time. Your love for planning was clearly evident in the quality of your work, your knowledge of the profession beyond your years and how you interacted with both your colleagues and the public you served. You will always have a special place in our hearts. Until our paths cross again.
wrote on March 3, 2021
at
1:51 pm
In February of 2020, I attended a happy hour with some coworkers and by the end of the night, Nora and I connected and made plans to attend the newly added 2nd show for BTS. Of course, she already had tickets and so did my sister for the other show day, but we ended up getting tickets in the same section just a few rows apart. This was the night that led to many more BTS related outings, nights at my house, and a few non-BTS meet-ups, as much as we could during that time. There is not much I could say, that hasnโt already been said about Nora. Intelligent, competitive, independent, and made you feel comfortable. She was all of that and more and you couldnโt help but want to be her friend. Even though I am so much older, we still became friends and I couldnโt help but to be one her biggest supporters and cheerleaders for all the things she wanted to accomplish at work and in her personal life. Feeling like a bit of a Eonni (big sister), I couldnโt help but want to protect her.
We had already planned to celebrate her birthday today when FB showed this memory. So, we decided to still meet-up and celebrate her. This was the place she picked when we celebrated the BTS Be album release day. The staff was so sweet, they even turned up the music when I requested they play BTS in her honor. So, we raised a few glasses of Soju and toasted to our dear friend and co-worker who will be sorely missed. I will always think of you when I hear BTS, which will be often. I will always cherish our time together, despite being so short, and my family and I will always love you.