Menu
Search by Name
Search by Name
BORN
1955
DIED
2018
William Reese Obituary
William Sherman Reese, of New Haven, CT, was born on July 29, 1955 in Havre de Grace, MD, son of William Blain Reese and Katherine (Jackson) Reese, and died early in the morning of June 4, 2018 at his family's farm, Seven Springs Farm, in Havre de Grace, MD, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Hurt, his sister, Barbara Reese, and his nieces, Sarah Dyer and Tessa Currie, and nephew, Andrew Currie.
William attended Gilman School in Baltimore and graduated from Yale, summa cum laude, in 1977. In 1979, he founded the William Reese Company, located in New Haven and one of the leading firms in the world dealing in rare books and manuscripts. William Reese Company will continue under the ownership and management of William's wife, Dorothy Hurt.
William was a member of the Century Association, the Grolier Club, the Club of Odd Volumes, the Old Book Table, the Yale Club, the Walpole Society, and the American Antiquarian Booksellers Association. He was on the boards or councils of the Friends of American Arts at Yale, the Yale Library Associates, the Yale Library Development Council, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Library of America, and was a Fellow of Silliman College. In addition, he was an active supporter of several community organizations, including Common Ground, New Haven Reads and the Community Soup Kitchen. He was the author of many articles and a number of books in the fields of American historical bibliography and book collecting, and a frequent speaker on those and allied subjects.
Donations may be made in William Reese's memory to the American Antiquarian Society, in Worcester, MA.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for William Reese
Sponsored by NHRegister.com.
3 Entries
Scott Huber
May 16, 2022
I had unfortunately lost track of my friend Bill a number of years ago soon after his graduation from Yale. He was a good friend and his family purchased my grandfathers farm in Havre De Grace MD. My brother Craig Rekindled a relationship with the Parents of Bill and our families were friends for many years. Bill is the one person who kindled my long standing love of books Americana literature and the history of exploration of the American Frontier form initial settlements through the Fur Trade and the western expansion of the continent. My first memories of visiting with Bill when he was still young early teens was his magnificent collection of John J. Audubon Elephant edition prints of Birds amazing!
Bill and our little team of inventive minds were always trying to figure out how things worked as well. Our first effort at this was building a kind of blast furnace on his family property using lots of cast of brick we found and we built this oven that once hot enough melted metal. Our first effort s were bottle caps and we continued to add more heat until we were melting iron rods about a half inch thick. great stuff for us at the time and no injuries. I could go on and on but...
William Reese, Bill was a great friend and mentor in guiding me through the world of Books and what to look for. He will be missed and I am sorry to have heard of his passing. that in itself was a story. We turned on Sunday Morning a few weeks ago and all of the sudden I realized the story was a bout boyhood friend of mine from Maryland, oh how it brought back so many memories.
Thank you,
Scott Huber
Carol Roach
June 18, 2018
A great man and a great bookseller.
June 17, 2018
We will deeply miss our great friend. Will, Mariko and Zoe
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results
Make a Donation
in William Reese's name
Memorial Events
for William Reese
How to support William's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreResources to help you cope with loss
How to Cope With Grief
Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.
Read more
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreWays to honor William Reese's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
