George P. Flint ’60 died on November 28, 2021, in Dallas, Pennsylvania.
(The following was provided by the Hugh B. Hughes & Son, Inc., Funeral Home on November 28, 2021)
Beloved son of the late George Pogue Flint and Dorothy Powell Flint, husband for 58 years, 7 months to Helen Elaine, and father to Andrew, George Powell Flint, 83, passed away early on Sunday, November 28, 2021. He grew up in Nassau County, Long Island, NY, where his father managed a GE appliance store and his mother, a nationally recognized pioneer in adapting 4-H programs for suburban youth, had a 47-year career with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County, 4-H Division. In 1924, she established a 4-H camping program using borrowed tents and equipment. When public camping was no longer permitted in state parks, she and her mother financed the purchase of a 24-acre rustic camp on the bluffs overlooking L.I. Sound with a sandy beach 90 steps below. This allowed the camping program to continue and flourish with huge effort, creativity, resourcefulness, skill, and generosity from dedicated community volunteers, co-workers , and county officials. Now known as the Dorothy P. Flint Nassau County 4-H Camp, it is a 140-acre co-ed sleep-away camp with a farm and a wide variety of programs for ages 8-16.
An only child, when he was 4 years old, after the sudden death of their mother in Nov. 1942, 3 cousins, ages 7, 5, and 2, came to live in the 3 story Victorian house, along with Grandmother Powell and brave Carolyn Cobb, there to help care for 4 lively boys. After their father, a pilot in the USAAF, completed his tour of duty flying military supplies between India and China during WWII, he returned to the US and established a home in CA. The cousins moved to be with him, but they were always important in Aunt Dorothy’s family.
In his early teens, a football game with friends resulted in a spiral fracture of his left femur. The group had climbed a fence with a locked gate to play on the perfect grassy area at the Fulton Avenue School at the end of the block. The family doctor climbed the fence to aid until the gate could be unlocked for the ambulance. George spent many long days in traction in Mineola Hospital, but was fortunate to have an excellent recovery. He had no fond memories of that hospital stay.
George graduated from Hempstead High School and Bowdoin College where he was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity and participated in ROTC. Upon graduation, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He trained at Fort Benning, GA, and from Sept., 1961, to Sept., 1962, served as Commanding Officer, Headquarters Detachment, Student Battalion and as Executive Officer, Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Intelligence Center, Fort Holabird, MD. He was awarded a “Certificate of Achievement” for outstanding organizational and leadership abilities, concern for and interest in the welfare and morale of his troops, and devotion to duty. Upon discharge from active duty in 1962, he worked as an insurance adjuster for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Lynbrook office, where he made lifelong friends. In 1965, he entered graduate school at Teachers College – Columbia University where he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in 1966, followed by a Professional diploma in 1968. He also studied for a Ph.D. at New York University, all in Higher Education Administration.
At Adelphi-Suffolk College (later known as Dowling College), he served as Assistant to Dean of Students, Director of Student Financial Aid and Placement, Assistant to the President, and VP for Development and Public Relations, as part of a team that successfully raised the funds to build a library. He became Director of Institutional Relations at Lycoming College, raising funds to build a new gymnasium, and then he was Director of Development at King’s College, leading their successful campaign to fund their first separate Chapel.
Deciding to remain in PA he began a third career as a Care Manager for the Aging, first commuting to Dauphin County, and then transferring to Luzerne County Area Agency on Aging as soon as possible. Experienced, resourceful, professional, and compassionate, and with a gift for treating clients with dignity and respect, he joined the Protective Service team, where he served with upmost dedication.
He was a member of a number of professional organizations and had several articles published in CASE CURRENTS. He was a past-president of the Oakdale, LI, Lions Club and at the time of his death was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Dallas, where he had served as an Elder, King David Lodge 763, F. & A.M., Kingston, and Irem Shriners, where he sang with the Chanters.
An active parent, he included Andy’s friends in baseball games in the back yard, fishing at Shadyside Pond, golfing at Newberry, and when they were teenagers, trips to Dorney Park, Unexpected calls for help came: a ride home to Orange from a party, home alone and a stubborn bleeding cut. He responded. He was an excellent driver and role model, once receiving praise for averting a sure disastrous accident when a driver pulled out in front at a high rate of speed. One of Andy’s soccer friends in the car observed, “Mr. Flint, I don’t know how you did that.” He was using seat belts as early as 1962. However, in 1968 he did buy his favorite car, Pontiac’s “Car of the Year.” a GTO with concealed headlights and windshield wipers, and Endura bumpers. His was gold with a black Cordova top.
Over the years, he had many interests. One little goldfish led to four large tanks of tropical fish. A fifth-grade teacher enrolled her class in the Audubon Society, sparking his lifelong casual birdwatching hobby. Whenever he heard a Cardinal’s song, he responded with his own close imitation. He was a good bridge player, had an eclectic love for music from pops, jazz, bossa nova to classical. He attended many, many live concerts and Broadway shows. He somehow had a box seat overlooking the stage for his favorite show, “Camelot,” with Julie Andrews, Richard Burton, and Robert Goulet. He also appreciated good food, whether at home or at a wide range of restaurants from Maine to Maryland and from Long Island and Manhattan to PA.
In his relationships, he was positive, patient, supportive, and constructive He taught swimming one summer at Buddy Pierce’s Country Day Camp and never forgot the very frightened six-year-old who did learn to swim thanks to his patient coaching, He was known to be a slow speaker, said to have been characteristic of George Washington and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but he was reflective and thoughtful, never glib or superficial, almost always very serious.
His mother’s family traced back to John Alden and thus two signers, John Alden and William Mullins (father of Priscilla Mullins Alden), of the “Mayflower Compact” on Nov. 11, 1620. George was certified through eleven generations and accepted as a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. A 5th generation great-grandfather, Alden Gage served in the Revolutionary War, enlisting at age 16-½ in Oct.,1775 and serving in parts of every year through 1780. During the Civil War, a great-grandfather, Frederick C, Powell, served with the 106th NY Infantry Regiment, G Company, from 8/27/1862 to 6/22/1865, His beautifully scripted letters to his parents, describing some of his life and requesting supplies for himself and friends from the Madrid, NY, area, were preserved.
In the last years of his life, George suffered a series of mini strokes and failing vision, despite best efforts to help. The last twenty months were greatly impacted by Covid 19. His family extends their deepest gratitude to all those who provided care with kindness, compassion, understanding, warmth, and humor.
Survivors, in addition to his wife and son, are cousins and their families, Cecil J. Folmar, MD and Raymond H. Folmar, MD (Sharon). Roger L. Folmar (Carolyn, children, and grandchildren) died in 2013. Before his retirement, he was a software engineer at Lockheed Missiles & Space and had worked actively on the SR Supersonic Plane and the Hubble Space Telescope. Also surviving are sisters-in-law, Nancy Masticola and Anne Rieken and their children, Stephen P. Masticola, Ph.D. (Jeanette) and Nadine Rieken.