MSgt Joseph “Joe” Flaherty, USAF (Ret.) died on November 4, 2020. He was born April 29, 1936 in Boston, Massachusetts to parents George and Loretta (Cowhig) Flaherty.
At the age of seventeen, Joe enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, then transferred to active duty that same year and served his country for twenty-seven years. Seventeen of those years were served overseas, including a combat tour in Vietnam in 1968-1969. The recipient of numerous military awards and metals, Joe retired at Little Rock Air Force Base after his second tour there in 1979. He was hired as Director of Placement and Procurement for Pathfinder Schools and was promoted to Executive Director from 1980-1985. During that time, Joe was elected Chairman of the State-Wide Community Providers Association and represented the South/Central United Sates at the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped (NISH) in Washington, D.C., giving a voice to handicapped workers in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. Joe also served the Arkansas Governor as a member of the State Committee on the reorganization of services to children and youth. In 1985, he formed a private consulting firm that provided guidance to organizations serving the handicapped nationally. In 1987, Joe became the Founding Director and Architect of Our House, a long-term shelter and training center for the homeless. Our House became the national model for helping the homeless re-enter and be a productive member of society. Under his leadership, Our House was honored by two Presidents of the United States and the program was replicated by providers in twenty-eight states. Due to health reasons, Joe retired from Our House in 2005.
He is now celebrating his well-deserved rest in Heaven with his wife of thirty-seven years, Rebecca (Lou) Flaherty. Memorials in Joe’s honor may be made to Our House, Attn: Ben Goodwin, P.O. Box 34155, Little Rock, AR, 72203 or online at https://ourhouseshelter.org/donate/. Arrangements by Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home, 501-982-2136.
