WESTERLY, RI — Austin Whitcomb Flint passed away quietly in Westerly, RI, February 2, 2020, at the age of 88. He followed Joyce, his wife of 40 years who passed away 9 days earlier, also in Westerly.
Austin is survived by his children, Alan Flint of Chestnut Hill, MA (wife Christine Greco), and Allison Flint of Enfield, NH; his stepdaughters Heather Ott (husband Eric), Suzanne Newhall (husband Michael) and Lindsay Marieb (husband Mark); his grandchildren, Annabelle Nicholson and Nathaniel, Andrew and Edward Flint; Joyce’s grandchildren Evan, Sarah, Alexander, Brent, Kyle, Tyler and Hayley; his sister Marguerite Fogleman of North Augusta, SC; and cousins, nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his wife, Joyce Flint; his parents Lewis H. and Jessie (Chedel) Flint; his brother Alden Flint; and his sister Christine Thomas.
Austin was born on August 15, 1931, in Alexandria, VA, to Lewis and Jessie Flint. Raised in Baton Rouge, LA, Austin served in the National Forest Service at St. Joe and the US Air Force, then earned his BA, MA and finally PhD in Psychology (1960) from Louisiana State University. He spent his career at American International College (AIC) in Springfield, MA, as Professor of Psychology and Dean of Students.
His children Alan and Allison are from his first marriage to Ann Glendening (Fuller), and he married second wife Joyce Huling Shortlidge in 1979 to be stepfather to Lindsay, Suzanne and Heather. While he lived in various homes near AIC during his tenure, he spent every summer on Mascoma Lake in Enfield, NH, at the family cottage property on the south end of the lake. Since his retirement from AIC in 1996, he and Joyce spent winters in Sarasota, FL, at Longwater Chase in the Meadows and summers on Mascoma Lake.
Austin was an accomplished sailor, birdwatcher, hiker, woodworker, and studied the science of water quality. In every home, he had a woodshop where he built and repaired numerous projects. He was an active member and past president of the Mascoma Lake Association. His family and friends remember him as knowledgeable and kind, with a gentle sense of humor.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 22, 11 a.m., at the Union Church in Enfield Center, NH. Tentatively scheduled for August 1, 2020, family and friends will gather for a Celebration of Life at the Flint cottage, a joyous event to remember both Austin and Joyce.