Walter Samuel Flory, Jr., was born to Walter S. Flory and Ella Mae Reherd in Bridgewater, Virginia. Growing up on a farm, Walter became an active member of the 4H Club. He went on to become an internationally known botanist, geneticist and educator in the role of Babcock professor of botany at Wake Forest University (1963-1980) and a biosystemic researcher after 1980.

Flory graduated from Bridgewater College with honors and a double major in chemistry and foreign language (1928). His lifelong botanical focus was researching Amaryllidaceae, the Amaryllis family of plants. He then entered University of Virginia as a Blandy Fellow (1928-1931), earned an MA and a doctorate in Biology (1931), and did postdoctoral work at Harvard as a National Research Fellow in Biological Sciences. He was a member of the honor societies of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Tau Kappa and Sigma Xi. Flory's career included roles as diverse as head of technical work at Shaver Brothers, Inc., in Florida (1931-1932); Greenbrier College science instructor, Lewisburg, West Virginia (1932-1934); Bridgewater College biology professor (1934-1935); Texas Agricultural Experiment Station horticulturist (1936-1944); Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station horticulturist (1944-1947); University of Virginia experimental horticulture professor and Blandy Experimental Farm vice director and manager (1947-1963); Blandy Experimental Farm visiting professor (summer 1964); and O.E. White Research Arboretum curator (1955-1963).

When he arrived in Winston Salem in 1964, in addition to becoming Babcock professor of botany, he joined the city's Nature Science Center board of directors (1964-1969), serving as a treasurer, and also worked as the director of Reynolda Gardens (1964-1976). Flory also worked as a research consultant at Fairchild Tropical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida, in 1972. In his retirement years, he worked on the Forsyth County Arboretum and Tanglewood Park. His professional engagement extended to all manner of southeastern U.S., national, and international groups. Beginning in the 1940s, Flory traveled internationally for his work, attending gatherings such as the International Botany Congress or lecturing at institutions in other countries.

Flory married Nellie Maude Thomas in 1930, and the two had 3 children: Thomas Rehard, Walter Samuel, and Kathryn Sue (Maier). Nellie predeceased Walter in 1970. In 1975, Flory married Glae Crews Gramley. He lived his later life at Salemtowne in Winston Salem. He died on June 8, 1998.