William Preston Hastings

William Preston Hastings, born Richard Emery Maddux, passed away at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA on December 16, 2022, having recently relocated from Richmond, VA to live with his son and his family in Mattapoisett, MA. William is survived by his two sons, James Preston Hastings, II (Amanda) and Joshua Simeon Hastings (Rosanna), and his four beloved grandsons, Liam Axel, Foster Preston, Rylan Evan, and Alec Nicolas. He is also survived by his former wife, Jean Hastings, and many beloved friends and family members who are mourning his sudden loss. Born on November 27, 1944, in Richmond, VA, “Preston” was adopted at the age of two by his loving parents, James Preston and Grace Frances, from the Children’s Home Society of Virginia. Having discovered genetic testing in his later life, Preston recently reconnected with several biological half-siblings and nieces around the country. Preston was enlisted in the US Navy during the Vietnam conflict and served aboard the USS Norfolk. After his enlistment, he worked as a golf pro, and finished his career as a chemist at J.M. Fry Printing Inks, where he focused his work on color matching. He was an avid photographer who particularly enjoyed photographing his grandsons, landscapes, fireworks, and carnival settings. He will be remembered fondly for his warm smile, boisterous laugh, silly “dad jokes,” and his many stories, which were always overly long and far too detailed. Memorial services have not yet been planned.