William M. Hilton Jr., 65

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — William M. Hilton Jr., of Sheffield, Mass., son of William M. Hilton Sr. and Marjorie Hilton, passed away on Monday, November 4, 2019, at his home surrounded by loving family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Elena Delgado; children William and Ana Hilton; stepmother Elizabeth Hilton; mother-in-law Natalia Lasa; brothers Charles (Beth), Steven (Anita), and John (Buffy) Van Anden; sisters-in-law Natalia (Merritt), Dolores and Cristina (Stephen); adoring nieces and nephews; wonderful family members; and many life-long friends.

Born July 3, 1954, and raised in Bronxville, N.Y., Bill graduated from The Choate School (class of 1972). He and Elena met as undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania in 1976, reunited in San Francisco, and married in 1990. They raised their two children in the Bay Area, Paris, France, and Miami, Florida. In 2016, Bill and Elena moved to Sheffield, where he took to gardening with zeal and joy.

Bill's career in publishing included positions with Forbes, Rolling Stone and ESPN magazines. An avid reader and collector of first-edition modern-American books, Bill donated his exceptional library to the University of California, Santa Cruz, in memory of his father, a like-minded bibliophile. With Elena, he shared a passion for modern and contemporary art. Portions of their collection were donated to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College.

Funeral notice: Funeral services will be private, and a celebration of Bill's life will be planned for a later date.

In keeping with his philanthropic spirit, Bill and his family ask that any donations and/or gifts be made to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts c/o FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230.  To send remembrances to his family go to www.finnertyandstevens.com.