From collection Person List
Loved tugs and the Detroit River
Bill Hoey was born in Detroit in 1938. He loved everything to do with the water and the Detroit River. In 1965 he founded the Gaelic Tugboat Co., named to reflect his Irish heritage, and also Diamond Jack’s River Tours in Detroit. Capt. Hoey was involved with ship history from an early age. He began taking ship photographs in his teens and, over more than 50 years, built a vast collection of images. An avid collector of maritime art and antiques, he especially enjoyed taking his steam whistles to whistle blow events. In his early 20s, he served the Great Lakes Maritime Institute as a board member, editor-in-chief of the publication The Telescope and co-chair of the campaign to bring an enormous collection of Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co. materials, including the ornate Gothic Room from the CITY OF DETROIT III, to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. A long-time member of the International Shipmasters’ Association, he rose through the ranks to serve as Grand President in 1983. A lifelong member of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, he served for many years as a member of the advisory council. He was also an early member of the Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online Inc. (Boatnerd.com) board of directors. Bill Hoey passed away on September 28, 2013.
Bill Hoey was born in Detroit in 1938. He loved everything to do with the water and the Detroit River. In 1965 he founded the Gaelic Tugboat Co., named to reflect his Irish heritage, and also Diamond Jack’s River Tours in Detroit. Capt. Hoey was involved with ship history from an early age. He began taking ship photographs in his teens and, over more than 50 years, built a vast collection of images. An avid collector of maritime art and antiques, he especially enjoyed taking his steam whistles to whistle blow events. In his early 20s, he served the Great Lakes Maritime Institute as a board member, editor-in-chief of the publication The Telescope and co-chair of the campaign to bring an enormous collection of Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co. materials, including the ornate Gothic Room from the CITY OF DETROIT III, to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. A long-time member of the International Shipmasters’ Association, he rose through the ranks to serve as Grand President in 1983. A lifelong member of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit, he served for many years as a member of the advisory council. He was also an early member of the Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online Inc. (Boatnerd.com) board of directors. Bill Hoey passed away on September 28, 2013.
