Joe Flaherty, the first executive director of Central Arkansas shelter Our House, died this week. He was 84.
Flaherty was named the executive director of Our House in 1987 and served in that capacity for 18 years, growing it into a nationally recognized nonprofit organization.
The shelter's current leader, Ben Goodwin, announced Flaherty's death in a written statement Friday. He described Flaherty as someone who had a "life marked by service to others" and who led the fledgling shelter with ambition, integrity and heart.
"I am so grateful that I got a chance to know Joe over the past 11 years," Goodwin stated. "He was a very kind and gracious man, and was always so supportive and encouraging of the ongoing work of Our House. In our conversations he shared many valuable words of wisdom and pieces of advice that I will continue to hold closely through the rest of my life."
Our House focuses on working with parents and children to give them the skills and determination to escape poverty and flourish on their own, according to its website.
Flaherty was hired by Our House's founding board to get it off the ground and expand it. He wound up turning it into a national model. Our House has been recognized by two U.S. presidents.
Flaherty was born in Boston and enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard at 17 years old. He soon switched to active duty and served in the U.S. Air Force for 27 years. His service included a combat tour in Vietnam and a total of 17 years overseas.
He retired from the military in 1979 after his second tour at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. After years of working on behalf of handicapped people across the South and Midwest, he was recruited and hired to run Our House.
By 1991, a second Our House location was opened at the old Veterans Administration complex on East Roosevelt Road in Little rock.
In 1993, Flaherty and Our House were featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal as an avant-garde and successful homeless shelter, despite being located in a state lacking in government assistance.
By 1996, the original Our House location had outgrown its capacity. It relocated from Ninth and Louisiana streets to its Main Street location, in spite of resistance from its future downtown neighbors. The dormitory-style facility has been a success.
"Beyond our physical environment, Joe's legacy can be seen and felt every day as we go about our work, from the structure of our housing programs, to the high standards we uphold not only for our clients but also for ourselves, to the way we build relationships with supporters and partners from all across our community to drive our mission forward," Goodwin stated.
He went on to call Flaherty a "kind and gracious man" who never stopped caring about Our House even after his 2005 retirement.
"Our House will honor Joe's legacy by continuing to strive to be a force for positive change in the lives of our clients and our community," Goodwin wrote.
Flaherty was preceded in death by his wife of 37 years, Rebecca "Lou" Flaherty.
Memorials in Joe Flaherty's honor may be made to Our House.