Richard Flint (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Richard Flint

12:05pm Thursday 21st July 2011 in Obituaries

Pub landlord Richard Flint died in hospital five days after suffering a heart attack at the White Hart in Burbage, which he and his wife Pauline had run for 27 years.

Mr Flint, 59, died without regaining consciousness with his family at his bedside in the intensive care unit at Bristol Royal Infirmary, where he had been a patient for five days.

All Saints Church in Burbage was packed for the funeral of the father-of-two who had been in the licensed trade since leaving school.

He loved Burbage and his customers so much that, 18 months before his death, he bought the freehold of the White Hart from his former employers Punch Taverns.

Bar manager and close friend Paul Vines said his illness came out of the blue because Mr Flint had never complained of any health problems.

Mr Flint was born and brought up Durrington with his three brothers Roger, Ricky and Rodney and went to Durrington School.

He started work in Peals menswear shop in Salisbury and also worked part time in The Bull in the city, where he met his wife Pauline.

They married in 1973 and moved to Beer in Devon where they ran a guesthouse and hardware shop.

Their two daughters Vikki and Cassi were born in Devon.

The family returned briefly to Durrington where Mr Flint worked at the Stonehenge Inn before taking over the White Hart at Burbage.

Mr Flint was heavily involved in fund raising for charities and local organisations mainly through the White Hart’s popular quiz nights which he ran for more than 20 years.

Among those benefiting were the local doctors’ surgery, Burbage Pre-school, the village primary school, Great Bedwyn Playgroup, Riding for the Disabled, All Saints’ Church, Belmont Veterinary Surgery at Pewsey, Burbage Good Companions, the village’s youth cricket team and Burbage Sunday football team.

Mrs Flint said: “Richard simply loved his work and the White Hart – he always said the building had character and that was what he had in abundance.”

She added: “He always made time for everyone and had the ability to make everyone’s visits special.

“He had many gifts and listening was one of them.”

Mrs Flint said the family wished to thank everyone for their support and for the hundreds of cards received following the death of her husband.

Mr Flint is survived by his wife and his parents, Pat and Bill Flint, and by his two granddaughters Lillie and Amelia.