Linton Avery Fluck III “Jay,” 82, of Warren, RI, a Providence business executive and pioneer in college rugby, died Sunday, March 30, at Rhode Island Hospital. He was born January 7, 1943, to the late Linton A. and Mary Aileen (Tierney) Fluck of Somerville, NJ. He leaves his wife Bonnie (Sulla) Fluck of Warren. Before moving to Warren, the couple were long-time Providence residents.
A commercial real estate broker since 1974, Jay was executive vice president and a partner with CBRE in Providence. In 1994 he was awarded the Lear Award by the Greater Providence Board of Realtors, and in 2001 he was recognized as Realtor of the Year. A leader in community affairs, he chaired the board of trustees of Trinity Repertory Company and served on the advisory board of the Providence Preservation Society. He was a member of the Providence Chamber of Commerce and served on its industrial development advisory board
After graduating from Brown University in 1965, Jay taught at Moses Brown School for four years.
From 1964 to 1970, Jay starred for the Brown Rugby Club, and in 1968 he founded the Ivy League Rugby Tournament. He was a co-founder of the Providence Rugby Club in 1969. An all-around athlete, during winters Jay was a member of the volunteer ski patrol at Mt. Snow in Vermont.
In 1980 Jay returned to Brown to coach men’s rugby, with great success. From 1980 through 2009 his teams compiled an overall record of 315-230-12 and won eight Ivy League tournament titles. They qualified for Nationals in 1996, finishing the season ranked in the top eight nationally. In 2009 Jay took on a larger role as director of Brown’s rugby program, overseeing fund-raising and administration, a position he held until his death. In 2015 the Linton A. “Jay” Fluck Head Coaching Chair for Men’s Rugby was created and endowed with support from anonymous donors. For his rugby leadership and success as coach, in 2014 he was named to the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame.
Over his years with the rugby program Jay befriended and mentored hundreds of Brown players, many of whom would return for alumni games, reunions, and social events at the Flucks’ East Side home. His leadership and generosity were legendary, and he will be dearly missed by countless friends and Brown alumni.
In addition to his wife, Jay is survived by his daughter, Avery Fero, and husband Matt of Rochester, NY; two grandchildren; and a sister, Nancy Rossman.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, New York, NY 10163, https://www.michaeljfox.org/; or the Foundation for Faces of Children, 258 Harvard St., #367, Brookline, MA 02446, https://facesofchildren.org/.
A memorial service will be held at a date to be announced.
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