William H. Hurley

William H. (Bill) Hurley, 69, of Columbus, OH, won his battle with cancer on Friday night, August 26, by passing peacefully at Riverside Methodist Hospital with his family singing around him, after living every moment to the fullest. Bill was born and raised in Willoughby, OH, on November 5, 1946, to the late Ross and Aloha Hurley. He was preceded in death by his wife Lynne (Work), brother Robert Louis Hurley, and brother-in-law Richard Taylor Jr. He is survived by his wife Pat Hurley (formerly Snyder), sons Robert Hurley (Linda Wittebort) of Boston and William Hurley (Julie Shoemaker) of Columbus, sister Marilyn Taylor of Willoughby, and grandchildren Abbigael and Dylan Hurley (Boston) and Will, Allison and Nick Hurley (Columbus), as well as niece Sherry Hurley Ashton (Alan) of Mentor, Richard Taylor III (Kim Friday) of Willoughby, and Brit Taylor (Susan Schatzberg) of Chicago. Also, Bill is survived by sister-in-law Christine Work Fisher (Christopher), Upper Arlington, OH, niece Emily Fisher (Brian Folian) of Washington, D.C., and nephew Andrew Fisher (Angela) of Indianapolis, as well as cousins and many friends. He is also survived by stepchildren Paul Ravenscraft (Shelly Steidler), Tempe, AZ, James Ravenscraft (Tracy Stewart), Delaware, OH, and Sarah Snyder, Portland, OR, and grandchildren Taylor and Aiden Ravenscraft (Delaware, OH). Bill graduated from Willoughby South High School and The Ohio State University. He worked for many years as an independent video producer, where he was known as a superb craftsman. He was involved in the creation of three video production companies in Columbus following employment at the OSU Nisonger Center and TV 10. He later focused on online instructional design for clients including American Signature, Inc., where he was employed until his retirement in 2014. He put his creative talents to work as a volunteer, serving Immaculate Conception Church, Bishop Watterson High School, and St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus and most recently, the First Unitarian Church of Columbus, where he was a member and led the worship team. He also shared his astronomy interests with Columbus youth as a Science Olympiad instructor and volunteered at Perkins Observatory, where he twice won the Bud Edwards Award for service to the Columbus Astronomical Society. Bill believed that it was the quality of life, not the quantity, that mattered, and he devoted his final year to a Carpe Diem pursuit of lifelong dreams. With his wife Pat he hiked to the bottom of an active volcano in Hawaii and stargazed at Mauna Kea. He traveled to Paris, climbed the Eiffel Tower and took a glider ride over the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He published his first poetry collection, No Weeds in Wahkeena, which he performed at readings around the state. He taught astronomy classes at the Chautauqua Institution, a theology class at his church, and helped launch a Poetry at Perkins (Observatory) event, which he moderated. He began taking piano lessons and rode twice in the Pelotonia, pushing himself again to cross the finish line in his recumbent trike just three weeks before his death. All the while, he listened deeply, seeking to understand the perspectives of all religions and philosophies, and focused on the legacy he’d be leaving. At the entrance of the house, in the spirit of the Jewish tradition, he installed a mezuzah. The scroll inside quoted Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” There will be no calling hours. Instead, family and friends are planning a Celebration of Life to be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, October 1, at the First Unitarian Church, 93 W Weisheimer Rd, Columbus, OH 43214. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s honor may be made online to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank or by mailing a check to Perkins Observatory Operating Fund, 61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware 43015.

William H. Hurley

November 5, 1946 - August 26, 2016