William T. Flint, Jr. ’62 died on May 5, 2020, in Portland, Maine.
(The following was published by Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home on May 5, 2020)
William Thomas Flint Jr, 79, passed away May 5, 2020, at Maine Medical Center after a period of declining health.
Born in Rockland, Bill was a lifelong resident of Maine other than two years in Texas while in pilot training for the Bangor Air National Guard. This was a continuation of his lifelong passion of airplanes and flying which began for him in the Civil Air Patrol during high school. It was also in high school where Bill met the love of his life, Louise West.
After graduating from Thomaston High School in 1958, Bill went to Bowdoin for two years before being sent by the Air National Guard to Webb Air Force Base for pilot training in Texas with his new bride Louise. In 1963 he returned to the 132nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron Air National Guard out of Bangor, Maine, where he was a pilot until 1969.
During his time in the Guard, Bill returned to the University of Maine and finished his BA, MS, & PhD in Physics while also working at Tibbetts Industries in Camden as Special Projects Director. By now he was also helping his father at Park Street Laundromat, ultimately taking over the business with his son, Bill. As was his father, Bill was a member of The Grand Lodge of Maine, Rockland Chapter.
As he eased into retirement, Bill was able to embrace his love of golf, travel, and family. Bill discovered Sanibel Island and the west coast of Florida, with many happy winters spent there on the beach and golf course. Having worked as a caddy at the Rockland Golf Course in high school, he warmed up his clubs and off he went, even getting a hole-in-one on the course at Kelly Greens where he and Louise spent much of their time. Evenings in Florida were often spent with friends enjoying sunsets and good food. March of every year saw his and Louise’s return to Sugarloaf for skiing and a condo full of family and the kids’ friends. He and Louise also enjoyed traveling, including many trips to Boston and Washington, DC as well as memorable cruises to Alaska & the Rhine River.
Retirement also brought with it the onset of grandkids. From the time the first grandchild was two, time was spent with memorable flights to Florida and hours at the beach and pool. At Sugarloaf, both he and Louise were skiing with the grandkids by the time they were two. Whether walking on the beach collecting the best sand & shells in a bucket or building chutes down snowbanks and catching the kids before they went into the parking lot or brook, he was having a great time.
Grampy’s approach to grandkids can be summed up in his frequent mantra “everyone needs someone who thinks they are wonderful all the time”. He thought nothing of taking the teens with permits out to get his or her driving hours logged. He took great joy in his grandkids’ successes, whether it be Alice and her masters in OT, Skye thriving at Bates studying psychology, Dave graduating from UMaine in chemical engineering, or Keanu fishing off shore or lobstering with his dad.
Bill is predeceased by his parents, Katherine and William Flint, formerly of Thomaston. Survivors include his wife, Louise; sister-in-law, Nancy Eugley, and her partner, Ralph Post; children, William, III and his wife Martha, Charles and his wife Kelly; Katherine and her partner Steve Clark; his beloved grandchildren, Alice and David Flint, Skye Conley, Keanu Campbell, and Owen and Cameron Littlehale; other family members include, his niece, Becca Maltais, and her husband, Frank, and their son, Carter; as well as cousins, Debbie and Kent Carey of Southborough, MA. He enjoyed a close relationship with all his and Louise’s relatives throughout the country. Time was spent daily making sure he reached out to family and friends. His words of wisdom were appreciated by all.