Wilfred "Wil" Fermon Hoyt

Wilfred "Wil" Fermon Hoyt, a retired Lieutenant Colonel and beloved family man, passed away on April 28, 2023, at the age of 77. He was born on January 25, 1946, in Flushing, New York, to Fermon Jacob "Abe" Hoyt and Rosemarie Bertha Dillman.

Wil was a proud graduate of the University of Tulsa, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He joined the U.S. Air Force as part of the Officer Training Corps and underwent pilot training in Laredo, Texas. He was then stationed in Castle AFB in Atwater, CA and Beale AFB in Sacramento, California. He served with distinction during the Vietnam War, where he flew dangerous missions in the KC-135 Stratotanker, refueling B52 bombers in the air as well as SR 71 reconnaissance aircraft, a prestigious assignment at the time. He later served at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, RAF Lakenheath in England and KI Sawyer AFB in Michigan.

After a 21-year military career, Wil retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. He received his Master's degree from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology and continued to work as a civilian contractor, training pilots as an expert on flight simulators.

Wil was a kind, gentle, and humble man who adored his wife of 47 years, Julie Hoyt, and his children, Shawn Hoyt (Christina) of Boston, MA and Michele Woods (Martin) of Overland Park, KS. He was a loving grandfather to Colin Hoyt, Aidan Hoyt, Maggie Hoyt, Grace Hoyt, James Woods, and Luke Woods.

Wil was much loved and will be remembered for his selflessness, his playfulness, his kindness, and his unwavering love for his family. He was a man who lived his life with honor, integrity, and humility, and his legacy will live on through his family and all those whose lives he touched. Rest in peace, Wilfred Fermon Hoyt.

A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 AM on June 3, 2023 at Riverside Cemetery Chapel, Troy.  Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.bairdfuneralhome.com.