Obituaries

The loss we are experiencing right now is almost as large as the persona of Rod. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Rodney James Flahr, age 57, on September 21, 2026.

He is survived by his mother Bev; his sisters Roseanne (Les) and Dianne; his brothers Ray (Fran) and Roger (Char); seven nieces and nephews, including a special relationship with his nephew Jakeb; his friend Chandra; and his son Kyler. He was predeceased by his father Alex.

Where do you start with Roddy? His entire life was sports, from an early age with boxing, baseball, basketball, and, most of all, a love of football. By the age of 12, he was an undefeated provincial boxing champion, with his championship match ending in less than 15 seconds. At 17, he captained his high school football team to a provincial championship (Go Mustangs!). He was a top wide receiver with the Regina Rams for two of his four years there before spending two years with the U of S Huskies.

After leaving the U of S, Rod quickly found out that the blue-collar trades were not for him. He tried ironworking and said, "Not a chance!" It wasn't long after that that he was hired at Frappier Acceleration by former Rams teammate Marco R. Little did we know that career choice would lay the foundation for the rest of his life.

That decision led him to become one of the most outstanding trainers in our province for decades. He had both the passion and tenacity to excel in this field, which soon became his life's work. The Frappier Acceleration program took Rod all over North America, providing the foundation of his knowledge and leading him to years of specialized athlete training. He took the opportunity to work with young, aspiring athletes very seriously. He developed and passionately delivered the "Rod Flahr Method." This helped athletes become better competitors and, in some cases, achieve their dream of playing professional sports.

He assisted more than 73 athletes in achieving their goal of playing professional hockey in leagues around the world, with many being drafted into the NHL. I wonder how these athletes would feel if they knew Rod couldn't skate?

He trained aspiring athletes in Football, Olympic wrestlers, helped create the Kevin Holness Soccer Camp (before soccer was cool), worked with entire youth teams, trained world-champion martial arts fighters, and so many others. That was one of Rod's gifts: dreaming of the big picture then scribbling the plan on loose-leaf paper on how to get there.

He truly loved working with people of all abilities and backgrounds, finding joy in helping each person discover their own strength and achieve their highest potential. His greatest reward was seeing others build confidence, improve their well-being, and enrich their lives through sports and exercise. Rod's last passion was The Nest Health and Fitness Centre, his "other family." Sometimes we wondered how there could possibly be that many stories about The Nest and the people he worked with, and we heard most of them more than once! We've since learned that while he was there, he talked just as much about us. Knowing how proudly and fondly he cared for both of his families brings us a great deal of comfort. I would like to thank Ankit and the entire Nest family for giving Rod his last passion. We've wondered what might have happened if you all could have met 25 years ago. It would have been amazing to see what that family could have achieved with more time together.

All of that was professional Rod. Let's talk about social Rod.

I realistically should stop here because every one of you just smiled, laughed, or remembered an awesome Rod story. He loved a social environment, some might say too much. I disagree. Maybe for too long, but never too much.

You don't get to be ROD unless you can celebrate your birthday for one week instead of one night. You could never go out in Regina with Rod because he knew 75% of the crowd wherever you went, and it was never just the two of you.

Through all his challenges in life, Rod never backed down. He was fearless and, in true “Rodism” fashion, always believed that "nobody likes a quitter." As many close friends have commented, Rod said he was going to live to be 120, and until Monday, we all believed him.

I will miss my big brother, my mentor, and my best friend. Rod, I say rest now, but I know for a fact that wherever you are, you're making someone ELSE workout while buying a round. Until we cheers again, be at peace, big bro. You've earned it. You were always loved and will never be forgotten.

We never had the opportunity to fully discuss funeral arrangements (remember, he was living to 120). Rod's wish was that there be no service. While we may choose to hold a gathering, we need time to grieve and accept this tremendous loss as a family. When the time feels right, we will announce a Celebration of Rod's Life.