William G. "Bill" Hosford, 78

William G. "Bill" Hosford, age 78, passed away on November 8, 2023, of brain cancer while residing in Marion, Iowa. Bill leaves behind daughters, Daria "Shelley" Kamp (Kevin Kamp) and Heather Hosford; grandchildren, Peter Kamp and Aleksandra "Sasha" Kamp; former wife, Winifred "Winnie" Skora Hosford; siblings, James "Tater" Hosford Jr., David Hosford, Mary "Bunny" Colella, and Ruth Jarret; along with beloved family and friends, including those of his deceased sweetheart, Ruth Heywood Miller. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and James Hosford Sr., and brother, Peter Hosford.

Born and raised in Franklin, Massachusetts, Bill joined the U.S. Navy Reserve while in high school and proudly served as a radioman on WWII-era submarines in support of the Vietnam conflict. He earned numerous degrees from Bridgewater State College and Central New England College. To be closer to his daughter's family, he moved to Iowa in 2001 and worked as a teacher-librarian in the Cedar Rapids Community School District until he retired in 2010. From 2015 to 2022, he resided in Florida and North Carolina before returning to Iowa.

His career included teaching, school librarianship, and electrical engineering. He was a talented artist, published author, photographer, musician, modelmaker, and woodworker. Bill was also an amateur radio operator, fixed wing and hot-air balloon pilot, beekeeper, and family genealogist, and spent time locating misplaced grave markers for others. He volunteered his time with the Boy Scouts, 4-H, Science Station, American Space Museum, and Battleship NORTH CAROLINA. Bill often joked that he didn't know what he was going to be when he grew up.
Bill's cremains will be interred in the family plot in Massachusetts. According to his wishes, neither a funeral ceremony nor celebration of life will be held. In the spirit of Bill's commitment to volunteerism, the family asks that you contribute time to help others and "don't count the moments, make the moments count."