William Walter Flint
March 12, 1941 - June 13, 2022
Port Angeles, Washington - William "Bill" Walter Flint, a Vietnam Veteran and dedicated High School Science Teacher, passed away on 13 June 2022 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Portland, Oregon on 12 March 1941, he was the beloved son of Dr. Weldon Collins Flint and Mary (Tuttle) Flint.
Bill's life was marked by a deep commitment to service and education. He proudly served his country as a member of the United States Air Force, flying B-52 combat missions during the Vietnam War. His military service was a source of immense pride throughout his life.
However, it was in the classroom where Bill truly made an indelible impact. With a career spanning over five decades, from the 1960s to the 2000s, Bill's dedication to teaching and his passion for physics, chemistry, and science inspired and influenced thousands of young high schoolers. As a high school science teacher, he shared his knowledge and love for these subjects, leaving an enduring legacy of curiosity and learning. His impact on the lives of his students is immeasurable.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Bill cherished his family deeply. Bill married Dorothea Volkman in 1963 and together they had three children. He is survived by his loving spouse, Karen Norman, and his sisters, Susan (Susie) Forsythe and Elizabeth (Libby) Bateman. He will forever be remembered as a devoted father to his children, Walter Flint, Ted Flint, Larisa Flint Snydal, and Christopher Norman. Bill's pride and joy extended to his grandchildren, Nate Snydal, Michael, Daniel, Kyann, James and Gina Flint, as well as his great-grandchildren, Arabella "Ella" Katherine and Alexander William Flint.
Raised in Ferndale Washington, Bill was a 1959 graduate of Ferndale High School and continued his education at the University of Washington (UW) and Western Washington State College (now WWU). His passion for learning was evident throughout his life, and he consistently encouraged others to pursue knowledge and explore the wonders of the world.
Today, we bid farewell to a remarkable individual who touched the hearts and minds of so many. Bill Flint's dedication to his country, his love for his family, and his lifelong commitment to education will forever be cherished and remembered.
Bill rests in eternal peace at the Ocean View Cemetery in Port Angeles, Washington. As we remember him on the anniversary of his passing to honor his memory, let us celebrate the extraordinary life of a beloved husband, father, brother, teacher, and friend. May his legacy continue to inspire generations to come.
Forever loved, forever missed, and forever remembered.

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Published by Bellingham Herald on Jun. 10, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for William Flint

5 Entries

Gerald Polmateer

March 12, 2025

He was one of my favorite teachers in high school. He showed me ways of teaching differently which I thought was better. Because of the way he taught I did many of the same things when I taught high school. He challenged me to think through things better. When I wanted answers, he asked me questions. I still have the materials he had us work through. His signature is on most of them.

Patrick Hayden

June 12, 2023

Bill Flint was a great teacher, and taught more than just his academic subject. He taught with dedication, compassion, and humor. He became a good friend later in life. I miss him.

Stacy Young-Thompsen

June 12, 2023

Mr. Flint was my FAVORITE teacher of my entire education. From coming into class to find him laying flat out on his back on the floor to demonstrate what the "lowest energy level" of something looks like to teaching us how orbitals work using the example of "the apartment complex for crotchety old men" to having us learn the concept of acceleration by lining us up to drive our cars in teams of 3 (one being the driver of varying speeds, one with the timer tapping the shoulder of the one tipped out of the partially open passenger door and spraying ink out of a squirt gun onto the pavement with each tap! We learned so much while having a great time. We did an experiment using a cathode ray tube at one point, and Mr. Flint was running low on these because they were hard to hold and many had been dropped and broken. He went into this big speech about how their shape must lend them to being dropped, and how careful we must be with them. To this day, more than 30 years later, if my husband or myself have trouble dropping something, we´ll tell each other, "must be shaped like a cathode ray tube."

Kirby Hoskinson

June 12, 2023

I hadn't heard of Mr Flint's passing. He was a wonderful educator and I had the absolute best time in his Chemistry, Physics and even Geometry classes. Long ago memories now, not forgotten. Absolute BEST!

Jan Galagan

June 10, 2023

This is the first time in 71 yrs. to see the name of our beloved Ferndale Dr.. If his son was anything like his father, his parting is sad, but what he left behind in the years of teaching is something to be very proud of.

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