William
T.Hulse Jr.
1918-1998
LifelongWesthampton
Beach residentWilliam Theodore HULSE, Jr. passed away quietly on January
10 in the home onGriffing Avenue where he was born on June 16, 1918.
He was the son of William T. HULSE and Charlotte Raynor and the husband
of Ella Randall HULSE, deceased 1987. He was a member of the Westhampton
Beach Fire Department and a past commander of American Legion Post 834.
Bill also spent summers in Roxbury, Vermont for about twenty-five years.
Bill, as he was known to friends, graduated from "Six
Corners School" before studying Aeronautical Engineering at Parks Air College
in St. Louis, Missouri. After college, he joined the Air Force where
he became a flight engineer on a B-29 bomber in the 509th composite group
of the 393rd bomb squadron where he flew active duty in World War II under
the command of Col. Paul Tibbits.
In 1955, Bill teamed up with his brother, Theodore
"Dode" HULSE, to buy Raynor’s Garage on Library Avenue. Bill ran
the garage until his retirement and the sale of the garage in 1967. Bill
has always loved antique automobiles and has collected many over the years,
both miniature and full size. In 1994 at the age of 76, Bill entered
the Bridgehampton Sports Car Rallye and drove his 1916 Model T Ford Speedster
to a first place victory. In 1995, he raced again and came in second.
Bill was also an accomplished machinist whose working
steam engines have become part of the permanent collection of the American
Precision Museum in Windsor, Vermont. Mr. HULSE was 79 years old.
He is survived by his wife, Nan Randall HULSE and
stepdaughter, Alaina SANTORO, of Westhampton Beach, his son William Randall
HULSE and grandaughter, Merideth HULSE of Hampton Bays, three nieces, one
nephew and several cousins. Mr. HULSE was interred at Westhampton
Cemetery on January 13.
[Raynor
Shine, Winter 1998, Volume 6, Number 1]
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