WILBURN CLAY HOSKINS

WILBURN CLAY HOSKINS - BURLINGTON - Wilburn Clay Hoskins, 68, died unexpectedly April, 29, 2015, in the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. Will was born Feb. 19, 1947, in Logan, W.V. He was the only child of the late Mary (Stewart) and Arthur Ray Hoskins. He attended Logan High School in Logan, W.V., and graduated in 1965. He was very active with the Boy Scouts, and became an Eagle Scout, and attended Boy Scout Camp in Philmont, Ariz. He earned a National Merit Scholarship to attend Michigan State. He graduated with Honors from Michigan State University in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics. He went on to earn a master's degree in Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University. He began his career at the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, Md., in 1972, where he met his future wife, Edie (Spence), and they married in 1981. Will continued his work with Social Security when they moved to Vermont in 1987. He retired in April of 2007 with 35 years of service. Will enjoyed spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, skiing and snowshoeing. He traveled to India and then to Nepal twice. He enjoyed a wide circle of friends and had many adventures with friends from Social Security and the Pittsburgh Explorers Club. He and Edie enjoyed traveling around the United States visiting national parks, especially in the Southwest. But his true love was photography. He was a talented photographer and enjoyed sharing his love and knowledge of photography with family and friends. More recently, he had some of his photographs chosen to be displayed at the Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction, and also received awards including Juror's Choice, Viewer's Choice, and Honorable Mention. Will is survived by his wife, Edie; and family in West Virginia and Kentucky. Also, father-in-law, William B. Spence Sr.; brother-in-law, John Spence; sisters-in-law, Amanda and Bobbi Spence; and numerous nieces and nephews. He will be profoundly missed by all those whose life he touched. Will wished to have his body donated to science to help others gain a better understanding of the human body and to help educate future health care providers. At this time, no memorial service is planned. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to either of these two places that Will and Edie enjoyed visiting so much - Acadia National Park - Friends of Acadia, http://friendsofacadia.org/ or The Adirondack Mountain Club, http://www.adk.org.