In Memory

William Fosnaught


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WILLIAM FRANCIS FOSNAUGHT, 81, died on Saturday, March 5, 2016 in Frederick, MD, following an illness. Born February 15, 1935 in Ellwood City, PA, Bill was the son of George and Irene Fosnaught. He grew up in Ellwood City, most notably on Chicken Coop Hill, a neighborhood that served as background for his many humorous stories of boyhood adventure and family lore. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps and served four years, after which he attended Edinboro State College in Pennsylvania and the National Art Academy in Washington, DC. While in Washington, Bill met and married the love of his life, Phyllis Pelletier Fosnaught, with whom he had 53 years of happy marriage and five children. The family lived in Maryland, Maine, and Virginia. After working as an illustrator and art director in several art studios, Bill teamed with a partner to found a commercial art and photography studio that became one of the largest in the Washington, DC area. Bill retired from that studio in 1998, and after Phyllis'' retirement from service in the Federal government, the couple moved to Carroll Valley, PA, where Bill was active in a number of community organizations, including the Hanover Area Arts Guild and the Adams County Arts Council. Bill was a true Renaissance man, with interests that included horseback riding, drum making, poetry, cooking and breadmaking, model trains, philosophy and spirituality, politics, and the general celebration of life and love. An accomplished artist, Bill showed his watercolors in a number of local venues. He was an avid outdoorsman, a hunter and fly fisherman who relished a good trout stream and brought his artist''s touch to the tying of intricate flies to lure fish and delight his children. Bill was widely read and had eclectic tastes in music, ranging from opera, through jazz, bluegrass, and rock & roll. He inspired the character of "Old Bill" in a book of stories, "Grouse Foolish & Other Stories," by his friend Harry Vanderweide. Bill embraced his varied pastimes with passion, never doing things by half. When he was interested in a pursuit, he read deeply on it, diligently sourced out the finest tools and materials for it, practiced it intensely, and shared his love of it with his family and friends. The passions of his life are reflected in his family, including artistic pursuits, a love of the outdoors, a skeptical but open mind, and a sense of irrepressible fun. Head of a large and loving family, Bill is preceded in death by his parents; his siblings Georgiana Bartoe, Marilyn Rodgers, Greta Price, and James Fosnaught; his grandson Brendan, and his son-in-law David. He is survived by his wife Phyllis; his children Monique Connealy (Patrick), Melanie Fosnaught (Dante Gabriel Rossetti), Maureen St. Denis (William), James Fosnaught (Anna Itenberg), and Mary Rostkowski (David); his grandchildren Nicole, Ashley, Brian, Katie, Heidi, Kristin, Noah, and Ella; and his great-grandchildren Kieran, Bennet, Klaus, and Sophira. A Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m. at Tranquillity at Fredericktowne, 6441 Jefferson Pike, Frederick, MD 21703.