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Obituary: J. William Hesler '58

We are saddened to inform you of the passing of J. William (Bill) Hesler, Class of '58.

Bill died on October 2, 2021 leaving behind his wife of 53 years, the Hon. Nicole Duval Hesler; their two sons, John '87 and  Tom '93; daughter-in-law, Audrey; and grandchildren Jackson (Class of 2027) and Lauren. 

Bill attended Selwyn House from 1950 to 1958. A member of Lucas House, he was very involved in Cub Scouts, participated in essay and short story competitions, Choir, Under-15 Soccer, Public Speaking, Debating Society, Dramatics, and served on the Dance Committee. He become a Prefect in his final year. Bill would go on to serve on the Selwyn House Association Board from 1983 to 1997, which he chaired from from 1986 to 1991. "His work on the board culminated in transitioning the Endowment Fund to the Veritas Fund, which would continue to ensure that boys of all financial means could receive an exceptional education through bursaries and support.", as noted in a letter from Headmaster Alexis Troubetzkoy in 1988. 

According to the 1958 yearbook, Bill's ambition was to go into civil law. In fact, he became a "pillar of the Montreal legal community". 

Former Headmaster Will Mitchell wrote: "Bill was a great Board member and very supportive. He did some excellent work for the school in challenging times."

''Bill was a huge supporter of the Advancement Office at Selwyn,'' said James McMillan, former Advancement Director at Selwyn House. ''He was integral in establishing the Annual Giving Campaigns and was tremendously supportive in all things that we were trying to establish at that time. He taught me a lot about many things.''

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. at the Mount Royal Funeral Complex, 1297 Chemin de la Forêt, Outremont, Quebec H2V 2P9. Family and friends are invited to share their memories of Bill on this online memorial page.
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