West Springfield, Dr William “Bill” F Hartford, 77, passed away Friday September 18. 2026. Born in Springfield, January 15, 1949, he was the son of the late Francis J and Julia (Andras) Hartford. He lived his entire life in his childhood home in West Springfield, attended St Thomas the Apostle School and attended West Springfield High School. Bill was an Army veteran during the Vietnam War serving three tours there from 1967-1970. He utilized the GI bill to earn a Doctorate Degree in History from UMass. He became a freelance historian authoring several books on labor history, his first focusing on Holyoke. He also published a book in 2023 that was a study on John Quincy Adams and John C Calhoun, titled “Adams and Calhoun-From Shared Vision to Irreconcilable Conflict.” Besides his parents he was predeceased by his brother, Thomas in 2022. He leaves his siblings, Anne Kent of West Springfield, John “Jack” Hartford and his wife Karen of VT, Kathy Vermette and her husband James of Chicopee, Philip Hartford of West Springfield and Lori Hare and her husband Gary of Feeding Hills, and his sister in law, Christine Hartford of Springfield. A graveside service will be held Friday October 9, 2026 at 11:30AM at St Thomas Cemetery. Toomey-O’Brien Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.