Bill Hosley, October 2, 2022, in Newry, Maine. Christine Ermenc photo, courtesy the family.
Submitted by the Family
ENFIELD, CONN. — William Newell “Bill” Hosley, Jr, 70, passed away suddenly at his home in Enfield, on July 2. Born in Rochester, N.Y., to Cynthia and William Hosley, Bill developed a passion for historic landscapes and artifacts at Vermont Academy. He was a 1977 graduate of Middlebury College and earned a master’s degree from The Winterthur Program in Early American Culture in 1980.
As a curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum from 1980 to 1997, Bill created many exhibitions and authored several books including The Great River: Art and Society of the Connecticut Valley (1985), The Japan Idea: Art and Life in Victorian America (1990), and Colt: The Making of An American Legend (1996) as well as dozens of articles. He became well-known nationwide as an historian, preservationist, writer and photographer, leading the Connecticut Landmarks organization with their fleet of historic house museums from 1997 to 2004, then serving as executive director at the New Haven Museum from 2006 to 2009. He had a special interest in historic cemeteries. In 2005, he founded Terra Firma Northeast, a consulting practice providing museums and communities with preservation, education, strategic planning, marketing and exhibition development services.
Bill was an energetic man of many passions, described by many as a force of nature. He believed strongly in using the power of history and of things surviving from the past to inspire civic engagement and a sense of community in people of all backgrounds. Bill was a voracious reader with a quicksilver mind, seeking to make the world better. He loved public affairs and strove (not always successfully) for civil discourse, hoping to learn from people with different points of view in this divisive age. He was an enthusiastic and engaging presenter and a generous-spirited mentor to many people and organizations. Bill skied hard all his life. A drummer and guitar player, he enjoyed music of all kinds from The Beatles and The Who to Taylor Swift and could often be found listening to his extensive record collection when he wasn’t on a day-tripping adventure. He hitchhiked to Woodstock in 1969 at the age of 14. He relished being out in nature, skiing, hiking, kayaking and documenting historic cemeteries throughout New England with his wife, or simply enjoying the beauty of his backyard and listening to the sounds of the birds.
Bill is survived by his wife of 40 years, Christine Ermenc, daughter Abigail, son Benjamin and brother Charles. A memorial service later in the summer will be announced. Donations honoring Bill’s memory should be sent to The Plainfield Historical Society in Plainfield Mass., Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vt., or Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass.
