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William Newell Hosley Jr.

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Vermont Academy Middlebury College

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Enfield, Connecticut

William Hosley Obituary

William Newell Hosley, Jr, 70, passed away suddenly at his home in Enfield, Connecticut on July 2. Born in Rochester, New York 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 Hosley was an energetic man of many passions, described often 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 had a rebellious streak and 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 back yard and listening to the sounds of the birds. Bill Hosley is survived by his wife of 40 years, Christine Ermenc, daughter Abigail, son Benjamin, and brother Charles. He was predeceased by his parents and brother George Hosley. 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 Massachusetts, Vermont Academy in Saxtons River Vermont, or Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge Massachusetts.To share online condolences, please visit www.Leetestevens.com

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Published by WFSB on Jul. 7, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for William Hosley

14 Entries

SusanViner

August 18, 2025

The strength that you Christine and your daughters displayed by staying with Bill all night and reminiscing is the finest tribute to a fine person.

Lance Mayer

August 10, 2025

It´s shocking to hear of Bill´s passing because he was so full of life. I first got to know Bill through our interest in old gravestones, but soon learned to admire him as one of the best and smartest curators I´d ever met. His hard work when masterminding big exhibitions like The Great River was astounding, and his wall texts for individual objects were models of the genre: a couple of well-written sentences that pointed out things that would be interesting to the general museumgoer as well as to the specialist.
Bill was fascinated even by the complicated built environments of old mill towns that had seen better days, and he passed that enthusiasm on to others. Nowadays, when Gay and I drive through such mill towns in eastern Connecticut, we often recall a slogan of Bill´s: "Every place is someplace!"
Our sympathy goes out to Christine and his family for their loss.

Paul Sullivan

July 30, 2025

Melinda and I were saddened
to hear of Bill´s death. We extend our condolences to Christine and the family. I was of the Connecticut Landmarks board when he was director and valued his insight and hard work for the organization . Melinda was a trustee at The Wadsworth the entire time he was a curator and appreciated his thoughtful guidance in all things relation to the American decorative arts . His enthusiasm for the historical buildings and artifacts was impressive and Connecticut is in his debt for making all aware of New England´s history. He is a great loss
Paul and Melinda Sullivan

Joanne Lawson

July 21, 2025

Dear Christine and family, I am so sorry for your loss. I was fortunate to have attended one of Bill's cemetery talks at Hartford's Old North Cemetery. He knew so much Hartford history! I also was impressed by his Dec 2023 article in the Hartford Courant about the cannons from the Civil War flagship USS Hartford. Who else could teach us about the cannons, and the painting at the Atheneum, and the importance of studying history? He will be missed.

Gregory Hedberg

July 17, 2025

I worked with Bill for five years at the Wadsworth Atheneum- his enthusiasm for Connecticut history was catching! His 1985 exhibition and scholarly catalog on the Connecticut River Valley is a model of what a brilliant curator can do.
I treasured Bill´s frequent emails on a wide variety of topics. When he was born they broke the mold. He will be missed. My condolences to Christine, Abagail, and Benjamin.
Gregory Hedberg

Anthony J. Dennis, Esq.

July 15, 2025

I was thinking of Bill recently and was shocked and saddened to hear of his untimely passing. I was impressed by his exhibitions at The Wadsworth Atheneum many years ago during his time helming that organization and have long owned several of his books. Many years later I finally got to meet and work with him as he and a team of us worked to save the historic 18th century Olcott House on Main Street in South Windsor. I am so glad that I had the foresight to tell him how impressed I was by his Colt exhibition (among others) at the Wadsworth some years before and I thanked him for his many unique and invaluable contributions to historic preservation and to saving our precious, irreplaceable yet sometimes undervalued American history. I have lived with regret in not telling some individuals how much I esteemed them only to have them pass from the scene much too soon. I am glad that I told Bill how impressed I was by him and the work to which he dedicated his life. I want the family to know that Bill was appreciated by me, my family and legions of museum visitors he never met who thought highly of him and his work. I am a Christian and believe that Bill truly lives on in another dimension and that if we are fortunate we will see him again. I pray for him and for his family. Bill was a selfless man who dedicated his life to worthy causes, a man of good cheer and benevolent intention. That has got to count for a heck of a lot in the next life. As I said, I pray and will continue to pray for him and his family at this time. For every condolence single note written here, there are probably one hundred more people who would say or write the same things about Bill. He leaves a wide mark upon the world.

Ted Uhlemann

July 11, 2025

Dear Christine, Charles, Ben, and Abby,

Losing cousin Billy is very sad. Billy was a great guy, and I admired him greatly. A family man, a thinker, creative, fully living life, and of good character. He was never one to be idle, and was often on a diversity of adventures. Encounters with Billy were always engaging and stimulating.

I had hoped to see Billy this fall or next spring. He wanted me to see his family history museum in the barn, and make a journey to Boston. I will surely miss him.

Our sympathies to all of you for the loss of your husband, father, brother. However, be encouraged:
o Billy is with Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)
o We´ll see him again (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Peter Grant

July 10, 2025

I knew Bill and Christine before they knew each other, and I'm stunned to hear of his death. He was as gifted at communicating his passion and wealth of information about so many things as he was passionate and well-informed. His death is a loss to everyone he informed or inspired, including those who never had the chance to hear him speak.

Decades ago, he somehow talked me into showing him Old North Cemetery on a Saturday in February. He also forgot to check with Christine so see if she was working that day (she was), so he and Abigail parked behind me in the thirty feet of roadway that the city had plowed since a major snowfall a week earlier.

Abby was frustrated making angels in the snow (it had turned icy), so I suggested she stand near the many angel sculptures and recreate their poses. I think that's what saved us.

As it grew dark and cold, Bill realized he'd locked his keys in the car. His car was behind mine, and there was no way for me to get out. Christine would have left work by then and be heading back to Enfield. We'd have to wait until she got home, we could find a pay phone (this was before cell phones), call, and wait for her to drive back to Hartford. Abby was, with good reason, getting cold and cranky. We needed a better escape plan.

Bill remarked, "If I had a coat hanger, I could break into the car." And, lo, there was a brand-new, rust-free wire hanger on the side of the cemetery office building, vacant since the 1930s. How did it get there? Bill grabbed it, broke into his car, and we all survived.

I honestly believe that the angels were watching Abby's adorable performance and realized that, as sketchy as the two dumbards were, we were needed to save the kid. An angel put the coat hanger on the building.

I don't know if Abby ever forgave her dad or me, but now that he's up there with the angels, I'm sure he has thanked and charmed them, and is already leading informative tours of under-explored treasures in heaven. Bored to sobs after centuries of singing "Alleluia," they are as glad to have him as we are sad to lose him.

With only fond memories of a terrific guy and deepest sympathy to his family.

Peter

Vivian Zoe

July 9, 2025

Truly a force in CT cultural preservation and education for decades. Affected many organizations. Condolences to Christine

Rebecca Mlynarczyk

July 9, 2025

Members of the Plainfield (MA) Historical Society are so sorry to learn of this terrible loss. Mr. Hosley had been such a strong and enthusiastic supporter of our local house museum and doctor's office, the Shaw-Hudson House. He will be missed by so many.

July 8, 2025

Condolences from an old acquaintance

Susan Werner, North Granby, CT

July 8, 2025

I was fortunate to work with Bill Hosley during the 1990s when he was a curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum. His passion for history was electric. I learned from him to look at furniture & objects from the past as living history - that gift changed my approach to teaching and gave me a fascinating world to explore. Years, later he remained a touchstone - someone I could turn to as I researched the history of the ancient cemetery on my small 18th century farm. Bill, I will miss you but your legacy and passion will live on in all of us who were lucky enough to know you. Many thanks.

Anne Farrow

July 8, 2025

I have many memories of working with Bill on history projects and he taught me that the past -- in all its aspects -- is alive in the present and waiting to be understood. I grieve his passing and cherish his memory.

MICKEY DANYLUK

July 7, 2025

Bill was a precious mentor..friend..advisor in historical matters. I am saddened by his passing.. he leaves a void no one can fill. ---Mickey Danyluk curator of noden reed museum in windsor locks

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