Hyland Levin Shapiro mourns the loss of one of our founders, William F. Hyland, Jr. Esq. (September 30, 1947 – November 5, 2024).
After graduating LaSalle University (B.A. 1969), Bill began his career in Sparta, NJ, as the Assistant City Manager where he soon became City Manager, one of the youngest in the country, at the time. During his time as City Manager Bill decided he needed to be on the other side of the desk. He moved his growing family from Sparta to Collingswood, NJ and enrolled at Rutgers Law School – Camden, graduating in 1977.
He quickly became a partner in the Moorestown law firm Brandt, Haughey, Penberthy, Lewis and Hyland, where he was known as the “kid”. He was part of the night shift, attending land use board meetings several nights a week. Following a seven-year run at Ballard Spahr in Voorhees, NJ, into which the Brandt Haughey firm merged, Bill became a co-founder of our firm. In addition to being a gifted speaker, he was a wonderful writer and editor. Bill liked to say that his clients were his friends and that he genuinely enjoyed coming to the office. Over time, his position on dress code loosened, but his insistence on proper grammar and elocution never did. Bill practiced with the highest levels of integrity, professionalism and intelligence.
Bill served in the New Jersey National Guard’s 63rd Army Band between 1969 and 1975. Active in the community, Bill served on the Virtua Foundation Board of Trustees; as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Wiley Mission, a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CRCC) in Marlton, NJ; and as a legal advisor to the Saints Prison Ministry. Bill served on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity (Burlington County) and YMCA Camp Ockanickon in Medford. For many years, Bill played music professionally. He sang with the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir in New York and was Music Director at Wiley Church for over 25 years.
Bill loved to play golf, especially courses far from NJ, and once upon a time, first base, on the softball field. He loved to travel; the best trips being with this family.
Please keep Bill, his wife Deborah and their children, Todd, Jennifer, Amy and Robert and their families, in your thoughts and prayers.
