To the Editor,
Brian Hoose recently passed after dealing with cancer. Although I had only befriended him when he was the city councilor for ward 3, once our friendship formed, it seemed as if I knew him for years. On several occasions I had him into the community programming studios for general conversation. There was never an agenda he was trying to push. During these visits to the studio some of the things we chatted about were his time in the military, and time as a school teacher. He always had a whimsical way of ending a five minute story that he started 15 minutes prior. Brian loved people and he loved Westfield – he was a model citizen. He called out what he felt were wrong doings on both sides of the political spectrum. He also praised things that he liked on both sides. I learned that I should always go to Tiger’s Pride restaurant early, so as to allow plenty of time to chat with Brian, as he volunteered inside the doors of the Westfield Technical Academy.
In his last few months, he learned what both of my vehicles looked like, and when he spotted me driving down Arnold Street he would make sure I saw him. I would always turn around, park at Emma’s, and chat across the road for a few minutes. In the past few weeks I noticed his absence, and I knew something was wrong. I received a notice he was sick and in the hospital, and then another notice that he passed. I still look at his house every time I drive down Arnold Street, and I think to myself, “if Brian was still around, what would he be saying about whatever is happening either in town or the world”. We lost a truly great, educated, caring person with Brian’s passing.
Ken Stomski
Westfield
