William J. Hodgman Sr.

The French fries at the SwampBat games will never taste the same with the passing of their longtime “Fry-Guy” William J. “Bill” Hodgman, Sr. 83, of Hinsdale, NH on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, from complications following two strokes. He was surrounded in the love of his family at the time of his passing.

His parents, Lewis and Byrdis (Putnam) Hodgman proudly welcomed their son into the world on October 4, 1934 in Winchester, NH. Bill was one of seven children in the family, and he was no stranger to hard work and the responsibilities of caring for a family. He carried this trait with him throughout his life.

Dedicated to helping others in any way he possibly could, Bill obtained his electrician’s license and established his own construction company in 1974 which he operated for approximately the last 40 years. This enabled him to build homes and to help many with renovations and any projects they might need help with, bringing great joy to them and much pride to him, with the finished projects. One of the last projects that brought him great joy was being able to help one of his nephews and family to renovate their newly acquired restaurant and remodel it into what is now The Rustic Table located in Winchester.

He was very humble in heart, yet strong in his outreach to others.

Bill was a huge volunteer at the Swamp Bat games in Keene from their very inception. He was known by everyone as the “Fry-Guy” and could be found behind the fryer at every home game, right up through this past season.

When not helping friends and family with special projects, Bill could be found enjoying time fishing, including tying his own fly’s; snowmobiling; and camping. He was also known to create his own home brew.

Bill’s love of volunteering found him serving for many years as a volunteer firefighter with the Hinsdale Fire Department, also in the capacity of assistant fire chief for the department.

He will be greatly missed by many of the patrons at the Swamp Bat games as well as members of the community he served and worked within. However, lives will be forever changed with his passing by his cherished family, his wife of 63 years, Natalie J. (Varno) Hodgman of Hinsdale; his son, William “John” Hodgman, Jr. and his wife Robin, of Hinsdale; his daughter, Vicki Bacon and her husband, David, of Keene, NH; his beloved grandchildren, Randi St. Hilaire and her husband Justin, of Reading, MA; Morgan R. Hodgman of Hinsdale, William J. “Bill” Hodgman, III and his wife, Alycia, of Hinsdale; Daniel J. Moylan and his wife, Danielle, of Keene, Jillian M. Moylan and her partner, Timothy Connolly, of Portsmouth, NH; his great-grandchildren, Dylan St. Hilaire, Liam St. Hilaire, Liyah Sprague-Hodgman, Grayson Hodgman, Chloe Moylan, Jacob John Moylan; his sisters, Nancy Roy, Carolyn Warren, Betty Snow, and Ruth Archibald, all of Winchester, and June Sonosky of Virginia Beach, VA; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Phyllis Guyer.

A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at a date and time to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the “Fry-Guy’s” memory to the Swamp Bats, 303 Park Avenue, Keene, NH 03431.