Vernon Mourning Loss Of Bryan Flint, Who 'Had The Heart Of A Servant'

VERNON, CT — He was Vernon's Uncle Sam. He was the town's magician. He was an advocate for the homeless and less fortunate. He was also, without dispute, the man who cared most about the Rockville section of town, townsfolk say.

Residents on Monday were mourning the loss of Bryan Flint after his death in a car crash Sunday in Tolland. He was 64 and left behind a legacy of spirituality and service. He had been the deputy director of Vernon's Cornerstone Foundation, which runs a regional shelter, a soup kitchen and a clothing bank.

Said Cornerstone, "All of us here at Cornerstone were saddened to learn of the untimely passing of our deputy director, Bryan Flint. Bryan had a huge heart that was always open to helping people who were struggling. He found the time to do that little extra to make life easier for someone even when he himself was extremely busy. The impact Bryan has had on Cornerstone and our entire community will never be forgotten. Our hearts are broken at his loss."

A 66-year-old Coventry woman was also killed in the crash. Her car crossed the center lines on Merrow Road in Tolland and hit Flint's vehicle head-on. Flint's daughter, Alexis Carmicheal, said, though she and Vernon might be in mourning, her dad would remind the community another family was involved.

"It's a small sentiment, but that's how he would have reacted," Charmicheal said. "Forgive and love, my dad always said. He would want us to support her family as well."

She paused and then added about her dad, "He's going to leave a huge gap everywhere."

Flint was known for his unwavering support of Vernon's Rockville section — and the town as a whole. He donned stilts and led the traditional Push, Pedal and Pull Patriotic Parade as Uncle Sam during the annual July in the Sky fireworks celebration. He performed his trademark magic shows at the Rockville Public Library and at several events in town.

He began his magic shows as a student at Vernon Center Middle School.

"My roles, both as the magician and then later as the 10-foot tall Uncle Sam leading the parade, sums it all up for me and is incredibly symbolic," Flint told Patch in 2012. "Being in Downtown Rockville is both magical and patriotic all wrapped up in one event. The hometown flavor is unmistakable. Everyone seems to know everybody and everyone has a great time. "

Town officials said losing Flint will create a spiritual and social chasm.

"This is a very, very sudden and tragic loss and it leaves a big hole in our community," Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. "The best way to describe Bryan Flint is from the Bible. He had the heart of a servant. He always put other people first and cared deeply about the community. He was inspiring for the work he did with homeless and less fortunate."

Purcaro said he used the Bible reference because Flint was regarded as a man of uncompromising faith. He led prayer vigils, whether at sunrise on Easter or in town on a variety of occasions. He was known for taking the high road no matter what was presented to him.

Just last week, after an announcement for a National Day of Prayer gathering was flagged and "unpublished" by Facebook, Flint, while admitting he was angry, also said with a straight face that would be "praying for Facebook" at the vigil publicly. The anger turned into a lesson of forgiveness and perseverance, he insisted.

Purcaro said he bumped into Flint at a local pharmacy Saturday. Flint was there not for himself, but to fill a prescription for a shelter resident in dire need of medication.

"It was a Saturday, on his own time, but Bryan cared more about the shelter resident than he did about his own time," Purcaro said.

Flint was particularly proud of the 2020 renovations to the homeless shelter at Cornerstone. He wanted the place to look "more welcoming" both for overnight emergencies and families making transitions.

"His legacy of public service to Vernon, especially the Rockville area, is unparalleled, and it is incumbent upon us to honor his legacy," Purcaro said.

Added Eric Osterday, the pastor of the Crossroads Community Church, "We have lost a valiant man."

Flint took a hard hit personally when, in 2013, his son, Bryan Flint Jr., passed away in his sleep at the age of 25. Flint had to skip the patriotic parade that summer, but, just weeks later, said he would forge ahead with his "mission" with even more dedication.

Charmicheal reminisced about a portion of Flint's career at McDonald's that can be overlooked because of his strong personality when at Cornerstone. He played Ronald McDonald.

"He was always that guy with the dad jokes and he always had that humor," she said. "The family has been thinking of those big red shoes and how they will be tough to fill. That humor was important to him because of what he did every day. Some of his clients had it so tough, you wanted to cry, but he was able to work for real results for the people who need it. That's going to help us remember him for who he was."

Tributes have been pouring to Cornerstone's social media pages since Sunday evening:

"Our community has lost a true gem. Bryan's giving spirit and great sense of humor touched countless lives," said one.

"The world lost an angel in human form," said another.

One resident called him, "a rock of the community."

"We are mourning Bryan here," one friend said Monday."But maybe we can take some consolation that he's with his son now, performing magic tricks with him."

Another friend went even further.

"Bryan Flint has way too much work to do to stop now," he said.

Calling hours and services will be at the Church of the Nazarene at 47 East St. in Vernon. Calling hours are tentatively scheduled for 10 to noon and 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday and a funeral service is slated for Monday at 10:30, according to the family.