The end of Martha B. Flint’s life was almost like a movie, as hundreds of friends and relatives came to her Bridgton home to say their goodbyes.
Mrs. Flint died Thursday at home after a battle with breast cancer, a disease for which she refused treatment. She was 77.
“She did not want to receive treatment because she wanted her quality of life. She told me that every day, she wanted to be Martha. She was very heroic,” said her friend, Leeann Hatch.
Mrs. Flint was born in North Bridgton in 1933. She graduated in 1952 from Bridgton Academy, ranked third in her class academically. She served as the North Bridgton postmaster from 1981 until her retirement in 1995.
Although she was married previously, she never had children.
But she did become close to her nieces and nephews, especially Craig Flint of Gray, who would visit his aunt every other weekend. They would often go out for a meal.
“Aunt Martha had a tremendous number of friends,” Flint said. “I have never seen anything like it.”
After Mrs. Flint was diagnosed with cancer in October, a friend organized a celebration of her life at the Sweden Town Hall. Instead of a few dozen people showing up, nearly 300 friends and admirers came to the hall last month.
Craig Flint said that once people in the community found out his aunt was dying, there was no way to stop them from attending. Many of them stood up to tell stories about their friend.
“Over her entire life, she has met and come to know so many people. Once you met her, you grew to love her. She was the fun-loving aunt everyone wants to have because she isn’t like a strict parent,” he said.
Mrs. Flint’s ties to the Bridgton community ran deep. She was honored numerous times for her volunteer work and contributions to the community.
In addition to being nominated for the a WCSH6 Jefferson Award in 1992, she was inducted into the Bridgton Academy Hall of Fame in 2007.
Hatch said Mrs. Flint was held in high esteem by faculty and students at Bridgton Academy.
“Martha Flint was the cornerstone of the academy,” Hatch said.
Her support of the school, its students and its athletic teams over the years was unwavering.
She established an award in the name of her family that recognizes academic improvement at Bridgton Academy. The Flint Improvement Award has been given to graduates for more than 30 years.
Hatch said Mrs. Flint was given a lifetime lunch pass to Bridgton Academy, and that at a recent Bridgton Academy basketball game, team members painted “Flint One” on the bleacher seat where she had sat for 30 years.
About three weeks ago, as Mrs. Flint became more gravely ill, Hatch took a leave of absence from her job as a Bridgton Academy school nurse so she could care for her friend.
“I promised Martha that I would be with her to the end,” Hatch said.
More than 250 people came to Mrs. Flint’s home to pay their respects in her final few weeks.
Hatch said being able to have some measure of closure proved good not only for Mrs. Flint, but for those whose lives she touched.
A student, who had spoken to Mrs. Flint a few weeks earlier about his desire to attend college, stopped by to inform her which college he had been accepted into. Mrs. Flint “was beaming from ear to ear,” Hatch recalled.
Several local ministers also visited her, and sang hymns while they were there.
“It was one of the most beautiful passings I have ever seen,” Hatch said. “You will never meet another person like Martha.”
Craig Flint said Bridgton Academy has agreed to pay the costs associated with the celebration of life for Mrs. Flint, which will be held in the Memorial Gym on March 19 at 2 p.m.
Flint said he expects hundreds of people will attend.
“I think her life shows that whatever you give, you get back tenfold,” he said.
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:
dhoey@pressherald.com
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