A Tribute to John Hosfeld
November 20, 2011
A Westminster institution, John Raymond Hosfeld, age 74, of Westminster, died on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at the Carroll Hospital Center.
He was a longstanding fixture on Main St. in Westminster where he owned and operated The Flower Box and practiced his trade as an artist, florist and designer.
To be in the company of Hosfeld was to be overwhelmed by his kindness, pride in his art, and invigorated by his enthusiasm for our community. At a time when so many folks in our community demand attention and want to know what Carroll County is going to do for them; Hosfeld was always looking for more things to do for Westminster.
Hosfeld was a 1956 graduate of Westminster High School and the New York School of Floral Design. He took over the business from his late Aunt Grace M. Benson who started the shop on Main Street in Westminster in 1951.
He owned and operated the shop from August 5, 1965 until he retired on November 1, 2009.
He was born on June 30, 1937 in Taneytown and was the son of the late Charles H. Hosfeld and Doris (Sell) Staub and pre-deceased by his stepmother, Mary Yingling Hosfeld and a sister, Kay G. Hosfeld-Flater.
The community gathered at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home on Willis St. last Monday to give thanks for the life and times of Hosfeld. His pastor, Rev. David S. Schafer from St. Benjamin’s (Krider’s) Lutheran Church conducted the services.
Hosfeld was surrounded by his favorite flowers, gardenias, lilies and roses, friends and family including his life-long friend, Billy J. Frey; his brother, Richard C. Hosfeld and wife Helen; and great-nephews and niece, Xavier, Sebastian, and Scarlett Joseph.
Hosfeld’s niece, Sherri Hosfeld Joseph, also an artist and the owner of Birdie’s Coffee Café, shared poignant memories of her uncle. She represents the third generation of Hosfelds to own a small business on Main St. in Westminster. She has often remarked that her Uncle John was her inspiration to open a business.
Joseph noted that Hosfeld was paralyzed “since 1965 and he spent the majority of his life in a wheelchair. Never complaining, or expecting special treatment because of his disability, he lived life to its fullest - traveling, enjoying friends and family. When I was a young girl, his wheelchair was to me, magical - not something that held him back, but something that propelled him forward...
“One of the things I respected most about my Uncle was his unwavering commitment to be just exactly who he was. In a small town, he was able to become an institution on Main Street.
“People loved my Uncle for who he was - a friendly, thoughtful, caring man - who made beautiful flower arrangements for every occasion in just about everyone’s life in Westminster and Carroll County. He touched the lives of so many and received remarkable acceptance in return.”
[20111120 SCE Flowers fade but Hosfeld]
Birdie’s, Westminster, Maryland, Carroll County, people, tribute, Dayhoff, Hosfeld, florists, flowers,
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