Bill Lintz is a Beaver local through and through, though his career took him to many places across the county. Yet even though Bill has seen what other regions of the nation have to offer – from the lowlands of Mississippi to the big cities of Washington, D.C. and New York – there is no place he’d rather be than his hometown of Beaver, PA.
Born in 1938 to William Sr. and Mary Lintz, Bill grew up on Navigation Street, playing kick the can, capture the flag, and other games with kids around the neighborhood. According to Bill, those games, along with the Beaver Pool, kept him and his friends occupied for hours. The fun only ended when the sun went down.
Bill was also close to his siblings – his older sister Mary Kay Bianchi and his younger brother Joe, who was also his best friend. The Lintz family appreciated the wonderful relationship Beaver residents shared with Joe, who had been born with Down Syndrome. Bill could not recall any incidents of anyone mistreating Joe and stated, “Why wouldn’t you want to live in a town like that?” Bill’s brother Joe was a fixture at Beaver ballgames and was invited by Beaver Area High School’s band director to march in the Memorial Day parade.
There were few resources available to those with special needs at the time. However, Bill’s mom and dad were determined to change that. Searching throughout the county, they found five willing families of children with intellectual disabilities and established a special needs group, which became the Beaver County Retarded Children’s Association (BCRC), as a chapter of the Pennsylvania Retarded Children’s Association (PARC), now The ARC of Greater Pittsburgh/Achieva.
Even though Bill’s dad passed away in 1958, the BCRC continued to advance the work of the Lintz family. In 1962, leaders in the program created the William Lintz Sheltered Workshop, which was the first day program in Beaver County for adults with intellectual disabilities. Their goal was to teach special individuals the skills needed for a more active life, even for employment. What started as a small group of approximately twenty clients has now grown under magnificent leadership to over 600 clients. It is now known as the Beaver County Rehabilitation Center located in Center Township.
In the early sixties, Bill became Board President of BCRC after graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Secondary Education. He then went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, certifying him in Special and Elementary Education.
In 1964, Bill met his future wife, Julie Pukanich. BCRC needed a truck which brought him to meet with Beaver County Commissioner, Jim Ross. On the way into Jim’s office, Bill noticed Jim’s secretary, Julie, and, before conducting “official business,” inquired who she was. Ross growled, “I’m not in the matchmaking business,” and then ordered Julie in and out of his office after making the introduction, which Bill described as love at first sight. Bill and Julie got married that same year and BCRC got a truck.
The following autumn, they had their first child, a daughter named Judy. Bill was working hard to support his growing family, first teaching Special Education, then sixth grade. He served as an Assistant Football Coach in Ambridge and was the manager of the Beaver Pool until the late sixties. Bill had worked at the pool for years before as a basket boy. He fondly remembers putting on a community exposition every summer which featured racing, diving, and synchronized swimming for local residents which was highly attended. Another highlight was establishing the “tiny tots” swim program which was still in existence when the Beaver Pool recently closed. There were lots of good memories, but the most rewarding aspect was working with a great staff who cared about the community of Beaver.
Bill’s career path took a significant shift in June of 1968, when he found a new line of work as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Granted, the FBI wasn’t looking to hire teachers. In fact, the director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, had publicly started he was only looking to hire lawyers and accountants. Bill decided to apply anyway and managed to make such a favorable impression during the interview process, which led to a job offer. Life as a Special Agent took Bill to many interesting places. His first assignment brought him and his family to Jackson, MS, then Alexandria, VA, and Bill finished his career back in PA at the Pittsburgh field office. During his career, he also conducted investigations in California, New York, Hawaii, Washington D.C., and even Mexico.
The time spent in Mississippi was particularly impressionable, especially since earlier in that year, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Sadly, there was much racial tension, and the very first night in Jackson, Bill was called out on a church bombing. Bill’s interaction with the deep south’s black and white community lead to many friendships.
In Alexandria, VA and Washington D.C., Bill was assigned to investigate a number of the “significant players” in the Watergate Scandal, which broke out during the Nixon Administration. Additionally, it was a period of civil unrest and rioting, which meant dealing with hate groups. Bill was the case agent in recovering and arresting those responsible for the theft of the Top Secrets from the Pentagon, and he was instrumental in the expulsion of the Iranian Diplomats, which followed Iran’s taking American citizens as hostages.
Bill and Julie had two additional children, Susan and Bill Jr., while in Jackson and Alexandria, before returning to Pittsburgh. In 1980, they moved back to the Beaver area to be closer to extended family. All of Bill and Julie’s children are Beaver graduates. Daughters Judy Dacanay and Susan Pollack each have three children. Both Judy and Susan live in Beaver, having returned after spending some time out of state, like their parents. Bill Jr., a retired Naval Captain, residents in San Diego, CA with his wife and daughter. Additionally, Bill and Julie are the proud great grandparents of Paxton Whittingham.
Bill continued to work for the FBI out of the Pittsburgh field office when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 57. He credits his accomplishments on a motto he still lives by today – “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t worry about who gets the credit.” He is still recognized in U.S. District Court as an expert witness in Civil Rights and the exploitation of children.
After retirement from the FBI, Bill worked as an investigator for the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #1, Pittsburgh PD and as a substitute sixth grade teacher in Ambridge. At the same time, he was engaged in various community efforts to include serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Children and Youth Association, teaching CCD, and assisting with vacation Bible school.
Bill also cherishes his time spent as a grandfather and has been a fixture being present at their school programs and sporting events as spectator and coach. He credits much of his success to his wonderful wife, Julie, and to the many positive influences in his life growing up in Beaver, including coaches and teachers. One in particular was Paul Jones, who had dedicated his life to working with the youth in the community. Bill was coached by Paul and was his third baseman. The team went on to be the 1952 state knee-hi champions. Bill went on to follow Paul as the coach of the Beaver Midget football team. He also coached Little League, Junior Legion baseball, and Catholic School basketball for both boys and girls.
Bill finally retired from career work in 2003 and moved to Monaca where he and Julie lived until 2016 when they returned to Beaver to be close to family. Bill continues to receive phone calls and cards from old friends and former students, plus even a few individuals he put in jail – all people who he had won over by the principal: “You are treated like you treat others.”
Calling Beaver home again, Julie and Bill cherish the people they love, the places they have been, and the memories they have made – the best things in life!
