The family business is giving.
Bill Wint says the giving spirit was promoted by his parents, and he is attempting to pass it on to his children.
As the ‘son? in Lewis E. Wint and Son Funeral Home, Bill Wint learned about the importance of family and service to families at the earliest possible stage of life.
‘I was brought to the funeral home when I was two years old,? he said, and was constantly exposed to his parents? belief in helping in time of crisis.
‘As important as our family was to us, you learn that nothing was in stone. When that phone rang, and a family needed your help, everything else that was for you was set aside and service to that family came first.?
While he is used to helping folks through emotional times, he has trouble keeping his own emotions in check when thinking about his late parents. Both suffered from cancer, and their deaths (his mother’s in 1987, his father’s in 1992) left their mark on him.
‘There’s a lot of awakenings you have to keep you going, so you rededicate yourself to what’s important,? he said.
Bill Wint did not start out intending to be a funeral director. Having earned a degree from Western Michigan University in personnel and economics, he was ready to enter the business world. When his mother was diagnosed with cancer (one of the ‘awakenings?), he decided to come back to do an internship in 1982.
Although he knew many of the workings of the funeral home from his childhood, coming back as an adult provided more learning experiences, and not just on how to run the funeral home.
‘I saw the reward of helping people,? he said. ‘The reward of helping someone through the hardest time of their life can’t be measured.?
Wint earned his mortuary science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1983, then joined the funeral home staff full-time. The business, started by his parents in 1959, fell to him when his parents died.
He learned more than the funeral business; he also learned philanthropy. The nature center at Independence Oaks County Park was renamed for his father by the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission in honor of his work with the parks system.
‘He believed we had to preserve the land for future generations,? Bill Wint said of his father.
The elder Wint was generous in other ways, but not in a flamboyant style.
‘He was very humble in his generosity, and I think it’s important that we carry that on.?
Bill Wint has done so, but he is reticent to point out many specifics. Indeed, he and his staff often practice ‘silent contributions,? giving money to a pastor or other community entity, asking them to deposit the money in their accounts then write a check to the recipient.
‘A person’s dignity and respect always has to come first when you’re helping someone,? he said of individual gifts. One year the staff compiled a year-end report with more than 100 beneficiary groups from their donations. ‘I don’t think there’s an organization in this community that has not benefitted from our family, so I don’t know where to begin.?
Over the years, Bill Wint has served with groups such as Clarkston Area Youth Assistance, the Clarkston Jaycees and the Clarkston Foundation. He still coaches a youth baseball team known through the years as ‘Wint’s Little Diggers.?
Sometimes the name brings a reaction from the players.
‘Each generation gets big enough and they say, ‘Coach, can we just be Wint’s Diggers??? he said. ‘They’re wonderful kids.?
It all comes down to a simply philosophy.
‘The more you give, the more you receive,? he said. ‘We just consider ourselves blessed to serve this community. Our ability to give back to this community is a responsibility we feel is very important.?
Passing the ‘life lessons? on to his three children, ages 14, 13, and 10, is important, both in his business and his thinking about life and giving.
‘They’re trying to understand, but it’s still hard to understand that there are times when Dad has to change his plans. The thing that upsets them the most is I can’t go anywhere.?
While he is grateful for a good staff (giving him more flexibility than enjoyed by his parents), Wint said his children must learn what everyone must learn eventually.
‘Things change. Nothing is in black and white,? he said, noting his own Christian faith as a vital source of strength.
‘One can’t begin to learn how to live until one has learned how to die,? he quoted from his college thesis. ‘Once there’s no more fear in death, there’s no more fear in life.?
Wint also gives credit to Marie (‘a wonderful mate?) a dedicated staff and others who make the Clarkston area a wonderful community.
While he is not as active on a lot of fund-raising committees (‘My family and my business are all I need?), he is active on the board of directors of Oxford Bank and enjoys reading and golf.
He admits another pastime of sorts.
‘I like to sit at my desk and write,? he said. ‘I usually throw it away, or I’d be in The Clarkston News every week. I worry about our government and I worry about our schools.?
He said he sometimes thinks about running for office, ‘and then luckily sanity comes in.?
Perhaps his greatest joy (outside of service and philanthropy) is ‘being a kid with my kids.? Among the family activities are snowmobiling, motorcycling and visits to a family gym.
One of Wint’s prize possessions is a school assignment from his then fifth-grade son. The paper (now framed) tells of why is father is a good role model.
Wint has prepared something for his children in the event of his untimely death. It’s a folder of information to be read when his children are age 20, 25, and 30. It’s about life lessons, and he included some explanation.
‘At 20, it’s not going to make any sense. At 25, you’re going to say, ‘I wish I’d have read this a little closer at age 20,? and at 30, you’re going to say, ‘I wish I’d known that at 25.??