Flood, Jr., William H.
William H. Flood, Jr. of Portland, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on Monday, September 6, 2021. He was 86. Bill was born in Portland on February 24, 1935, the second child of William and Lillian (Greene) Flood. He was a star athlete at Portland High School, lettering in three sports. In basketball, he captained the 1952-53 Central Valley League champions. In baseball, he played third base for the undefeated 1953 team, which won the Connecticut Valley
Conference championship. At the same time, he played for American Legion teams that won two district titles. Following graduation, he played semi-professionally in the Middlesex County Baseball League, where he earned selection to a local team that faced a barn-storming team of major leaguers. For these and other achievements, he was inducted into the Portland Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. He also shared his love of sports by serving as a coach for local children's baseball and soccer teams. Even into his seventies, he got up early every morning to shoot baskets at the YMCA, and discuss matters of global importance over breakfast with his buddies. From 1956 to 1957, Bill served in the U.S. Navy aboard the cruiser U.S.S. Northampton, which operated in the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Following his discharge, he went to work for Aetna Life & Casualty, retiring after 38 years there in 1992. While working in the Purchasing Department, he made lifelong friends, with whom he played many cutthroat card games. After retiring, he worked as a delivery driver for Bordonaro's Pharmacy or as he used to joke, “running drugs.” He was a passionate fan of the Hartford Whalers, the Boston Celtics, the New England Patriots, the Uconn women's basketball team, and--above all else--the Boston Red Sox. Even in old age, he could recite the year-by-year batting statistics of his hero, Ted Williams, and the starting line-ups of Williams-era teams. As a parent, Bill instilled in his four children a love of politics, sports, newspapers, nature, animals (especially dogs), wry humor, and his hometown. As Papa, he found joy spending time with his two granddaughters, and never missed a game, swim meet, or performance of theirs. Bill is survived by his loving wife of sixty-one years, Arlene; son Kevin Flood and his partner Diane Willcutts of West Hartford; daughter Marie Massaro of Stonington; son William J. Flood of Portland; daughter Sheila Fenton and her husband John of Rocky Hill; granddaughter Reia Massaro and her fiancée Rose Richi of New Haven; and granddaughter Jillian Massaro and her boyfriend Kodi Sullivan of Farmington. He was predeceased by his sister, Jean Flood.
The Flood family would like to thank the many staff of Portland Care and Rehabilitation who provided compassionate care in Bill's final years. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, at https://act.alz.org, or Protectors of Animals, at https://poainc.org.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, September 14th at 10 a.m. in St. Mary's Church, Portland. Burial with full military honors will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Glastonbury. Friends may call at the Portland Memorial Funeral Home, 231 Main St, Portland, on Monday, September 13th from 5-7 p.m. Masks and social distancing are required.
The family requests those who haven't received their
COVID-19 vaccinations yet to consider sending their condolences or making a memorial donation in lieu of attending.