William T. Scalley

William “Bill” Thomas Scalley, a dedicated outdoorsman who rose to the highest ranks of international hospitality and was a devoted husband to his wife, Jessica, for 46 years, died peacefully in his sleep in Wakefield, Massachusetts, on December 8, 2025. He was 88.

Born to Margaret (Marshall) and Joseph Scalley and raised in Hudson, New York, Bill spent his early years fostering a love of nature and the outdoors before enlisting in the military as a United States Army reservist and embarking on an illustrious career that would take him to three continents.

Bill graduated from Paul Smith’s College of Arts and Sciences with a degree in hotel management before starting a job as a bellman at the Park Plaza in Boston – a stepping stone position that propelled him to over 30 years managing some of the world’s premier hotels.

While serving as food and beverage manager at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, Bill met and married Mary Jessica Brennan. In Jessica, he found a lifetime partner and travel companion who embraced his career as a Sheraton executive. Bill immersed himself in his work, with the couple often living in residences inside the busy hotels he oversaw.

Key domestic assignments included time as General Manager of several Sheraton properties in Midtown Manhattan such as the Sheraton New York and the iconic Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu; internationally, Bill ran the Sheraton Auckland in New Zealand and in 1996, was instrumental in opening The Beijing Club, the first five-star American hotel in China.

A hunting cabin in upstate Hillsdale, New York, was a quiet and consistent retreat during his globetrotting career. A skilled fisherman and hunter from his youth, Bill stalked the surrounding property for deer and fished the local rivers and streams. He did the same in the exotic places he worked when he had the chance.

Upon his retirement in 1998, Bill and Jessica shared their time together in Newcastle, New Hampshire, and Naples, Florida. With a gregarious spirit, Bill met friends and socialized wherever he went, especially on his long daily walks and in the restaurants they frequented.

A true gentleman with a sharp fashion sense and mischievous wit, Bill enjoyed what most satisfied hotel guests do: good food and wine, greeting strangers with a smile and making others feel comfortable.

A loving son, brother and uncle, Bill was predeceased by his beloved wife Jessica earlier this year, and by his parents and brother, John Scalley and his wife Philomena. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Ruthanne Schoetz, and her husband, David, of Harwich, Massachusetts; his brother-in-law, John Brennan, and his wife, Janet, of Melrose, Massachusetts; his niece, Elizabeth (Greg) Schoetz Mays, of Amissville, Virginia; and nephew, David (Adrienne) Schoetz, of Wilton, Connecticut.

Family and friends are invited to a visitation and secular service that will be held at Robinson Funeral Home at 809 Main Street, Melrose, on Friday, December 12, from 11 AM - 1 PM, with a private burial to follow at a later date.

Gifts may be made in Bill’s memory to the hospice provider Care Dimensions or a charity of your choice.