William "Bill" Albert Van Hoose

William (Bill) Albert Van Hoose, age 89, of Louisville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Born on January 25, 1937 in Paintsville, Kentucky, Bill was the son of the late Hancel and Nollie Van Hoose.

From a young age, Bill had a gift for connecting with people. As a high school senior, he won first place in a Kentucky statewide speech contest—a sign of the charismatic voice and easy charm that would follow him throughout his life. He attended Morehead State University and later became a radio announcer, working at several stations across Kentucky and Indiana.

In the late 1950s, Bill moved to Louisville, where he met his beloved wife, Joyce. They shared sixty-one wonderful years of marriage, building a family and a lifetime of memories together. Bill spent thirty years as a highly successful salesman for Kahn’s Meats, where his kindness, humor, and genuine interest in others made him beloved by colleagues and customers alike.

Bill was a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church and a founding member of both the Louisville East Lions Club and the Crescent Hill Athletic Association. His dedication to service was recognized in 2019 when he received the Finis E. Davis Fellow Award for his humanitarian work with the Lions Club.

A passionate golfer, Bill cherished the friendships he made on the course as much as the game itself. In retirement, he organized a weekly golf group at Seneca Golf Course that grew to more than forty members. Today, the “Bill Van Hoose” bench outside the clubhouse stands as a tribute to Bill and to all the golfers who have taken their final swing.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Pamela Galage (Mike), and his son, Rick Van Hoose. He was a proud grandfather to nine grandchildren—Allison (Chris), Will (Brittany), Jeff, Morgan (Jeremy), Brooke (Jake), Jackie, Matt, Megan (Ethan), and Ryan—and a delighted great-grandfather to fourteen great-grandchildren: Mason, Maddie, Sophia, Kellen, Walker, Baron, Ashlynn, Lincoln, Carlisle, Lila, Peyton, Isabel, Liam, and Lizzie,

In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Joyce, and his seven siblings: Audrey, Earnest, Glen, Curt, Naomi, John, and Joe.

A service celebrating Bill’s life will be held at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at St. Matthews Baptist Church, 3515 Grandview Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207, with burial to follow at Resthaven Memorial Park. Visitation will take place from 3–8 PM on Monday, at Arch L. Heady-Cralle Funeral Home, 2428 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206, and again after 11:00 AM on Tuesday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be given to Hosparus Health https://hosparushealth.org/donate/