Rev. Walter Henry Flint Jr.

Rev. Walter Henry Flint, Jr., 93, passed away Friday, March 10, 2017. Flint was born Feb. 20, 1924 in East Orange, New Jersey to Walter H Flint originally of Nottingham England and Ruth A Hellman Flint originally of Denver Colorado. Music was important in the family. As the three children aged, sister Ruth played piano, sister Evelyn Jane became a very accomplished violinist and Walter played the cello. Walter, a lifelong bachelor, claimed that a bachelor was a man that did not make the same mistake once. After starting his college career at nearby New Jersey State Teachers College in Newark, NJ, Flint enlisted in the US Army, and spent one year in India building and running radio stations for the armed forces. During his stay in India, Flint’s requisition for Christmas lights was turned down. He then requisitioned a large quantity of radio dial indicator bulbs and made his own light display. After the war, Flint returned to New Jersey to complete his Bachelor of Science degree from NJSTC (later becoming Kean University). After that he began graduate work at Columbia University in New York City in communications before receiving a phone call in 1948 from an army buddy, Milt George, asking Flint to move to Albany GA and work at the WGPC radio stations. Flint did engineering work and other station duties in addition to hosting the morning wake up show for 20 years. Flint liked Albany and swimming at Radium Springs, so soon had his parents and sisters moving to Albany. Flint’s second career was as an audio equipment company. Flint provided sound systems to residential, church and theater clients around Southwest Georgia and neighboring states. Flint’s third career was started in 1954 when he became a pastor of the Elmodel Presbyterian Church. In 1976, Flint also became the lay pastor for the Mars Hill Christian Church in Whigham, GA. In 1979, Flint received an Extraordinary Ordination in both the Christian and Presbyterian churches, substituting a series of tests for attending Seminary School. In 1986, Rev. Flint also became pastor of the Ft. Gaines Presbyterian Church after ending his service to the Mars Hill Church. It became a long day getting to Ft. Gaines for Sunday morning services each week and then Elmodel for services Sunday evening. The two churches gathered together to celebrate events like the 50th anniversary of Flint pastoring the Elmodel Church. Flint honored his sister by donating the Janie Flint Lodge to First United Methodist Church’s Kamp Kirksey and a new steeple on the Elmodel church. He also honored his former friend and pastor by building the Frederick Wilson Chapel at Kamp Kirksey. When the Ft. Gaines church built a new fellowship hall, they named it for Flint. Flint donated funds to build a youth recreation center at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Albany. While Flint was recovering from a broken foot in the Lee County Health and Rehabilitation Center, he learned the nurses had to manually crank the beds to position the patients. Flint purchased 49 new electronic beds to upgrade the facility. The Center later thanked him by naming the rehab wing after him. Flint set up a fund within the Flint River Presbytery to help support small churches. Flint retired in 2013 from the Elmodel Presbyterian Church after 59 years and in 2015 from the Ft Gaines Presbyterian church after 28 years of faithful service. Flint is probably best known for decorating his Third Ave. Tutor house for over 50 Christmas seasons. The display outlined the house and yard along with the path in white lights. Trees were shown in various colors. The Christmas music was played through a speaker built into the lamp post. To many, the highlight of the display was Santa driving a specially lit, including rotating wheel lights, convertible out of the yard. Over the years a number of cars were used on the display including an MG, brown Jaguar XKE, red Jaguar XJ, 1923 Ford Model T Coup, Dune Buggy, Jeep Renegade, Mustang, Cutlass, and a Porsche 914. Feelings were strong in 1960 when Santa was kidnapped out of the car by youthful abductors who will not be identified here. Santa was later found in the bed of a pick-up truck parked at Midtown Shopping Center with a beer in his hand. The Albany Police Department found and returned Santa to be replaced in the display. The Christmas display was the subject of the Easter Seals of Southern Georgia’s 2007 Christmas Ornament. At the time, the ornament outsold all others as a fund raising effort for Easter Seals. Flint was distinguished with a letter from the entire board of the Coca-Cola Company for officiating at the funeral of Coke Chairman, Robert Woodruff. Services will be Monday at 11:00 am at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2126 Edgewater Dr., Albany, GA followed by interment at Riverside Cemetery with military honors provided by the American Legion Post 30. Officiating will be Dr. Biff Coker of Covenant Presbyterian Church, and Dr. Don Kea former pastor of First United Methodist Church and Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church. Kimbrell-Stern will be in charge of arrangements. For those desiring, memorials may be made to the Walter Flint Fund for Small Churches at the Flint River Presbytery, 826 Liberty Expressway, Albany, GA 31705; Elmodel Presbyterian Church, 2400 Patmos Milford Hwy, Leary, GA 39862; Ft. Gaines Presbyterian Church, PO Box 157, Ft. Gaines, GA 39851 or a charity of your choice.

Rev. Walter Henry Flint Jr.

February 20, 1924 - March 10, 2017