Richard K. Hoskinson

Richard K. Hoskinson, a prominent Chambersburg attorney who resided in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, passed away on May 3, 2020. He will be remembered by many for his quiet generosity, his personal and professional wisdom, his determination, and his steady faith. Richard was born on March 2, 1938 to William Clifford Hoskinson and Thelma Rae (Kiernan) Hoskinson in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. He graduated from Moon Township High School in 1956 and from Indiana State College (now Indiana University of PA), where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, in 1960. As a member of the college basketball team, Richard found joy and success on the court as well as in the classroom. After college, Richard served in the U.S. Army for two years, mostly in Germany, where he rose to the rank of Captain. As a Quartermaster, he ran a Commissary as the chief administrative officer. He then returned to Pennsylvania and taught history and English at Bellefonte High School for two years while also coaching the school’s basketball team. In 1965 he enrolled at Dickinson School of Law (now Penn State Dickinson Law) and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1968. Following his graduation, Richard served as a trust officer for Pittsburgh National Bank, now PNC Bank. He then moved to Franklin County to begin a long career of private law practice and joined the Franklin County Bar on December 8, 1971. He practiced with attorney Paul F. Mower for 27 years before establishing the firm of Hoskinson & Wenger with attorney G. Edward Wenger, Jr. in 1998. They welcomed Lawrence R. Rife IV to the firm in 2016, renamed the firm Hoskinson Wenger & Rife, and continued to practice law together until Richard’s death. His relationships with his colleagues and clients were deeply important to him and many endured for decades, and even generations. Richard was regarded by his colleagues as an attorney with a superior level of knowledge and skill in estate planning and administration. He enjoyed practicing real estate law, elder law, and business law as well. A professional and a gentleman, he was respected by the Court and his fellow attorneys. He served the Franklin County Bar Association as chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee, chair of the Orphans’ Court Rules Committee, and President from 1987 to 1988. In May 2018, he was honored as a 50-year member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. His tenure as the solicitor for the Franklin County Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills Office lasted nearly 40 years. Additionally, he served for many years as solicitor for the Trust Department of F&M Trust Company and Sentry Trust, both in Chambersburg. He also taught real estate law at the Mont Alto campus of Penn State University for 17 years. Richard was a longtime member of the Chambersburg Rotary Club, where he was a past president. He supported numerous Franklin County nonprofit organizations throughout his career and was especially honored to serve as a trustee at the Chambersburg Memorial YMCA. In 2015, he was the recipient of the Dwight M. Edwards Youth Builder Award for his significant administrative contributions toward the advancement of the YMCA’s mission in Chambersburg. A devout Christian, Richard was an active member of the Presbyterian Church of Falling Spring, where he served as a trustee and a member of the Session. Richard was an avid art collector, a voracious reader, and an encyclopedic source of information about biography, sports, painting, and American history, particularly during the Civil War era. Close to home, he could often be found exploring the fields and monuments of Gettysburg; he also enjoyed travels to more distant destinations with family and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marjorie (Boring) Hoskinson; a sister, Judith (Hoskinson) Hays, of Pittsburgh; and brothers Ronald G. Hoskinson of Pittsburgh and William Clifford Hoskinson of Tucson, Arizona. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Lin Ace Hoskinson, of Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, whom he loved deeply and beyond measure; a step-daughter and her husband, Kristen A. and Brenton W. Burns, of Pittsburgh, who inspired parental love and pride he had never known; a brother and sister-in-law, James N. and Carol G. Hoskinson, of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, with whom he shared great laughter; and many nieces and nephews who will remember him fondly. He was tremendously proud of and enamored by his three grandchildren, Katharine, Evan, and Lila, all of Pittsburgh, who adored him equally in return and brought him great joy. Arrangements are entrusted to William F. Sellers Funeral Home. A memorial service will follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (www.chbgy.org), the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter (www.cvas-pets.org), the Presbyterian Church of Falling Spring (www.pcfallingspring.org), or a charity of your choice.

Richard K. Hoskinson

March 2, 1938 - May 3, 2020