In Memory of Joseph H. Hosmer
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our great friend and SCI Foundation Past President Joseph H. Hosmer. He passed away January 6, 2020 at age 70.
Joe was the first president of SCI Foundation from 2010 until 2016. He was elected after SCI Foundation’s historic realignment aimed at increasing the Foundation’s effectiveness. Joe was instrumental in defining SCI Foundation’s mission and goals, ensuring that the Foundation was dedicated to conserving wildlife and promoting the benefits of hunting and sustainable-use.
When he became President, Joe remarked, “I am extremely honored as a lifelong conservationist to take on the role of SCI Foundation President. The opportunity to lead Safari Club International Foundation toward the highest levels of conservation goals is truly unmatched.”
Before becoming President, Joe served as Chairman for the SCI Foundation Conservation Committee for four years and was a member of the SCI Foundation Conservation Committee for over 10 years. Joe was actively involved in SCI and SCI Foundation for over twenty years.
Joe served on the SCI and SCI Foundation Executive Committee from 2003 to 2010. During those years, he was elected Vice President and also served as Corporate Treasurer. In 2010 he stepped away from the Executive Committee to serve the SCI Foundation as its President.
Joe was honored by SCI in 2017 with the Hall of Fame award for his dedication, achievements and efforts in worldwide conservation.
Joe’s ongoing commitment to conservation was unmatched. While president and in the years since, he dedicated much of his time and energy to overseeing SCI Foundation’s programs, ensuring that the Foundation adhered to the highest standards and that all its programs were science-based.
“As members of a worldwide conservation organization, we are more than passive observers of the natural world. We gain an intimate awareness and appreciation of the natural settings as we hunt. We also work very hard to help preserve the worldwide hunting heritage, which plays such an important role to the use of science and knowledge toward effective conservation efforts and wise practices of sustainable use of our wildlife resources,” Hosmer said.
Over the six years Joe was President, SCI Foundation made great strides, growing to become a world leader in sustainable-use conservation. Working closely with his fellow board members, Joe held his staff to the highest standards, always challenging them to take the next step. Joe led by example, never afraid to roll up his sleeves and help.
“Following Joe as president has been challenging. He left some big shoes to fill. His dedication to the cause and leadership have been an inspiration to all that knew and had worked with him over the years. Joe was known to his many friends and family as ‘Papa Joe’, and he treated SCI Foundation with all the love and care one would give to a child. His presence is still felt every day, and his memory will continue to guide and inspire us to always take the next step, ensuring the future of wildlife through conservation, education, and hunting,” Warren A. Sackman, III, President, SCI Foundation.
Since Joe’s term ended in 2016, Warren A. Sackman, III has served as SCI Foundation’s President, continuing to lead SCI Foundation based on the ideals established by Joe in those first formative years. SCI Foundation will continue to lead the way in worldwide sustainable-use conservation, continuing Joe’s legacy and ensuring that the next generation of hunter-conservationists are inspired by his passion.
Joe is survived by his wife Sandra Piecewicz Hosmer of Fredericksburg, Texas; two daughters, Megan Hosmer Cooley of California and Brittany and Ricardo Longoria, also of Fredericksburg; as well as three grandchildren, Mickayla Cooley, Peyton Cooley and Sig Joseph Hosmer Peterson; and sister, Nan and Joseph Frost of Massachusetts.
Visitation for Mr. Joseph H. Hosmer will be held on Sunday, January 12, 2020 from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. in the chapel of the Schaetter Funeral Home, Fredericksburg, Texas, followed by a reception in his trophy room in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Funeral services and interment will be held at a later date in Maine.
