William L. Astor

William L. Astor passed away January 30, 2025 at the Isaiah House hospice due to a recurrence of prostate cancer. A writer and well respected investigative journalist for the Rochester Beacon, Will had worked for the Rochester Business Journal, WXXI news, Channel 8 News, and City Newspaper. He covered the 1991 Rochester ice storm for City Newspaper. He used his chain saw to clear the ice encased trees that had fallen and blocked his driveway to eventually arrive at work on that devastating though glittering day.
Will was born in Hollywood California, June 4, 1945. His father was a journalist for CBS radio news in Los Angeles. When he was still an infant, Will's mother and father relocated to Buffalo, NY where his mother's family resided. After Will's father died when Will was age 2, he was raised by his extended Jewish family including teenage aunts and uncle as well as his grandparents who had fled the pogroms of early 20th century Russia to come to America. Will had a great ear for music as well as for accents. As an adult he could imitate his grandparents' Yiddish accents and when he would read an Isaac Bashevis Singer story aloud it sounded as if the author was in the room.
Growing up, Will lived near the Buffalo Zoo and recalled being a little boy in his bed and hearing the lions huff and roar at night. His family traveled to Crystal Beach in Canada during summer months to enjoy the amusement park and the beach. At the border when the carload of travelers had to declare their place of birth, his aunts would coach him, "Tell them you were born in Hollywood!"
He is predeceased by his father Norman Astor and his mother Tillie Gichtin Astor Goldman who are buried side by side at the The Holy Order of the Living cemetery, Pine Ridge Road, Cheektowaga, NY. The cemetery was founded by the survivors of Sokelifke pogroms of 1918.
Will is survived by his wife, Janis Hyland, by her family, and by his many cousins, dear friends and colleagues. He was especially grateful to his editors Paul Ericson and Smriti Jacob at the rochesterbeacon.com.
Will and Janis enjoyed riding bikes along the Erie Canal between Highland Park and Pittsford, or riding on to Fairport, stopping for a milkshake or a gelato.
They drove across the country in 2015 to California to attend an Astor family wedding. On the way they stopped at Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, and the Denver Botanical Gardens. In Los Angeles, where Will had once worked at the LA Free Press in the 1960s, they visited the La Brea Tar Pits. Will with his usual wide-ranging knowledge enjoyed politely correcting a young volunteer docent on his facts about extinct saber toothed tigers.
When Janis traveled to New Zealand for an educator's tour in the 1990s, Will flew to Hawaii to meet her on the stop-over on her way home and he had already scoped out all of the best places to visit by the time she arrived.
Though best known for his investigative journalism, Will also played guitar and sang at home each evening after work, split wood for the wood stove and fireplace, made great burgers on a small outdoor grill in summer, played cards once a week with The Card Guys, and created and tended a large backyard garden near Highland Park.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Narins, a cardiac surgeon and his team, who performed a life-extending surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital on Will in early December, the caring nursing staff at Strong and especially Kevin the OT specialist, Will's urologist Dr. David Gentile, the caring staff at The Brightonian rehab wing, friends Rosemary and Jim Gaden, and Kristin Kildea, Executive Director of Isaiah House, and Isaiah House's dedicated volunteers.
A celebration in Will's honor with food and music will be planned for early June.
Calling hours are Friday, February 21 from 4-7 at the Anthony Funeral home and Chapel 2305 Monroe Avenue, Rochester.
Donations in Will's memory can be made to the Rochester Beacon, rochesterbeacon.com Rochester Beacon, 26 Rosewood Drive, Pittsford, NY 14534 and to Isaiah House, 1005 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607.
He will be dearly missed.