William A. Huus

By Claire M. Regan

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- William A. Huus Jr., longtime managing editor of the Staten Island Advance whose expertise in newspaper production, passion for storytelling, steady leadership and deep commitment to his community helped usher the newspaper through decades of change and growth, died on Sept. 2 at the age of 78.

Mr. Huus was also a devoted family man who cherished time spent with his children and grandchildren after retiring in 2014 from a 45-year career at the Advance, where he led dozens of special projects and handled many of the 24/7 challenges of a busy newsroom.

“Bill and I were partners, managing a 125-plus person newsroom for decades,” said Brian J. Laline, executive editor of the Advance/SILive.com. “He knew Staten Island from shore to shore and understood the political machinations of our town.

“And on top of all this, Bill Huus was a real good guy. A guy you could rely on no matter how tough the going got. I have missed Bill as a newsroom partner since he retired. He taught me a lot, and he helped shape the publication we are."

“I am so sad about Bill’s sudden passing and send heartfelt condolences to his wife, Susan, daughters, Christie and Kaia, and his family,” said Caroline Diamond Harrison, CEO of Advance Local and publisher of the Advance/SILive.com. “I knew Bill for more than 40 years. He was always a steady hand and a voice of wisdom, deeply respected as a leader by his colleagues at the paper and in the community.

“He was passionate about the Noble Museum and helped build it into the success it is today,” she continued. “Above all else, Bill embodied the mission of the Advance in his service to the community. He leaves a great legacy. I will always treasure his memory.”

FIRST A REPORTER

Born on March 11, 1947, Mr. Huus was a native Staten Islander and longtime resident of Castleton Corners. He graduated from Staten Island Academy and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.

His childhood included vacations in the upstate town of Lake George, where the family owned a summer cottage. His father, “Captain Bill,” was a Sandy Hook pilot for 37 years and captained tour boats on Lake George for 27 years in retirement.

Shortly after graduation from college in 1968, Mr. Huus joined the Advance as a reporter and subsequently served as city editor, managing editor and, when the Advance developed its online presence, director of publications on the print side of the operation at 950 Fingerboard Road. His responsibilities included “booking” the daily newspaper -- placing advertisements and assigning pages to editors for design and production.

He supervised many special projects that covered breaking news and marked anniversaries of historic events, including the Advance’s centennial in 1986, the secession movement in the 1990s, the millennium in 2000 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

“He was a pro on zoning and land use issues,” Executive Editor Laline said. “It was Bill who reported on, and analyzed, the fiercely-fought-and-eventually-doomed South Richmond plan of the 1970s that would have created a population explosion far bigger than the one we see today.”

Laline and his predecessor, Les Trautmann, knew they could count on Mr. Huus to direct the research for big projects and the production of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of pages on a tight deadline.

As technology progressed, the Advance relied on Mr. Huus to supervise the transitions from one pagination upgrade to another. Although not formally trained in IT, he intuitively understood the back end of many programs and was able to trouble shoot when needed and offer tech support to the staff.

“He had vision and understood the world of technology that changed the way we do journalism,” Laline said.

A VOICE OF REASON

Many former colleagues remember Mr. Huus as approachable, patient and never too busy to listen. They could stop by his office, unannounced, pull up a chair and work out a problem.

“I always felt that Bill was a voice of reason in the newsroom,” said Lou Bergonzi, retired Advance sports editor. “He was even-keeled.”

“Bill loved being a newsman and was a calm oasis in the storm of daily coverage,” added Dean Balsamini, a former Advance copy editor and curator. “I can still see him reading over the shoulder of a reporter on deadline, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and his other hand slicing through the air as he helped them navigate the copy. Bill was kind, clever and always supportive. An absolute gentleman.”

Mr. Huus enjoyed combining his leadership role at the Advance with his commitment to the community. In celebration of the Advance’s 125th birthday in 2011, he organized a Touch-a-Truck event that raised funds for the Staten Island Children’s Campaign, a charity supported by the newspaper. Youngsters enjoyed exploring a fire truck, a cement truck and a bucket truck at the successful event.

He was a board member at the Staten Island Children’s Museum and Staten Island Academy and helped coordinate an annual art auction for the Noble Maritime Collection, where he also served on the board.

DEVOTED TO FAMILY

Mr. Huus and his wife of 53 years, the former Susan Samec, raised two daughters, Christie and Kaia. He coached their sports teams at Notre Dame Academy, the Petrides School and St. Teresa’s School. The family enjoyed regular vacations to Cape Cod, Mass., and Rehoboth Beach, Del.

He was the proud grandfather of three boys and a girl who affectionately called him “Bopbop” – the same name he called his grandfather as a child. He couldn’t wait to spend time with them at sporting events, parades and school plays, read a book or play a game with them, and give them extra scoops of ice cream whenever he had the chance.

He said “yes” to everything his family asked of him and was always up for a new adventure, activity or excursion. “He was part of everything in our lives and we loved spending weekends together as a family,” his daughters added.

Mr. Huus enjoyed regular games with the Silver Lake Senior Men’s Golf Club, and shared his love of the sport with his daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

He was a longtime season ticket holder to New York Giants football games, with prime seats in the sunny section behind the 40-yard line. He also cheered on the Yankees and the Rangers.

He and his wife enjoyed day trips to museums and were frequent visitors to the New York Botanical Garden as longtime members. He was a regular at the Todt-Hill-Westerleigh Public Library where he favored books about politics and the history of sports.

Mr. Huus often shopped at area farmers markets and chatted with the proprietors as he carefully selected the organic produce his wife would use to prepare delicious meals throughout the week.

“We were a good team,” Susan Huus said wistfully.

SURVIVORS AND ARRANGEMENTS

In addition to his wife, Susan, Mr. Huus is survived by his daughters, Christie Huus (Jin Lee) and Kaia Barsky (Jared); a granddaughter, Adisen Lee; three grandsons, Boden Lee, Dylan Barsky and Jack Barsky; a sister, Nikki Huus Rose, and two nephews, Erik and Lars. He was predeceased by his parents, William A. Huus Sr. and Dorothy.

Friends are invited to share memories of Mr. Huus on Sunday, Sept. 21, between 10 a.m. and noon at the Noble Maritime Collection, located in Building D on the grounds of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Livingston.