William P. Hackett III, Chef Concierge at the Langham Hotel, Boston, went home peacefully on Sunday March 18 after a brief illness with pancreatic cancer. Known to his family as Liam and to his many loving friends as Willie.
Liam was born in Airdrie, Scotland on March 31, 1956. He moved to the United States in 1961 at the age of 5. He grew up in White Plains, NY and was a 1974 graduate of White Plains High School. Willie later went on to graduate from Garber Travel School, Boston in 1985. At the age of 10 he started baton twirling with “The Twirling Jets” in Yonkers, NY and then with “The Lancers Fire Department Band” in Thornwood, NY and was a New York State Champion 6 years in a row and could also twirl fire.
He moved to Boston in 1979 and started his career in the hospitality industry, first at the Omini Parker House as a room service waiter. He then went to the Algonquin Club in Boston in1980, first as a waiter and left there after 17 years as Banquet Manager.
In January 1997 he went to the former LeMeridien Hotel now the Langham Hotel, Boston as Assistant Banquet Manager. In October of 2000 he transferred to the front of the house to the Concierge Desk and was promoted to Chef Concierge in September of 2005. He became a member of the Greater Boston Concierge Association in 2000. In 2005 Willie was accepted into and was a proud member of the UICH, Les Clefs d’Or, an international association of professional hotel concierges, where he had the honor of being on the membership committee for several years. He had now accomplished his dream of helping people with traveling by exemplifying “Service through Friendship”, the motto of the Les Clefs d’Or. During his career as a concierge he had been featured in many publications, rendering advice to travelers coming to Boston and New England. Publishers of The Newbury Street Guide, Concierge Magazine, Stuff at Night, Boston Magazine, Boston Globe, Improper Bostonian and Boston.com often turned to Willie as a trusted voice for the discerning traveler. Willie was also the proud recipient of the Where Magazine “Silver Plume Award” in 2007 as Boston’s Premier Concierge. He also was nominated for the Massachusetts Lodging Award and Best Employee at the Langham Hotel.
Willie had also volunteer for many organization on their planning committees such as Boston “GOAL” Gala committee in 2009, the Ellie Fund Oscar Night Boston Gala 2008, 2009, and 2010, a member of the Core Committee for the Les Clefs d ‘Or National Congress in Boston July 2011. He also sat on the Advisory Board of St. Anthony Shrine School in Boston for several years, the RALI Team at the Langham Hotel an ongoing training program and he volunteered for the Aids Action Walk Committee for 12 years during the 1980’s and 1990’s. He also served on several committees with the Greater Boston Concierge Association.
The loving and faithful partner of 27 years to Richard Everett, Willie was a dear uncle to William Simmons and his wife Marlena, Arthur Jeffrey Simmons and his wife Julie all of White Plains, NY. He was the cherished great-uncle of Amanda Kathryn Simmons and the great-uncle of Edward. He is predeceased by his parents: Kathryn (Hall) and William P. Hackett II and his dear sister Annette Stafford Simons.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to visit at the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford, Friday from 4 thru 8PM and again on Saturday morning, March 24 at 9 followed by a mass celebrating Willie’s new life in St. Joseph Church, 118 High Street, Medford, at 10 AM. A private interment for family will be at a later date in New York.
Willie and Richard request flowers be omitted and a memorial contribution in Willie’s memory would be appreciated to the Les Clefs d’Or Foundation of the Americas, C/O Concierge Unlimited International, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1730, Chicago IL 60606. For directions, obituary and to leave a remembrance of Willie www.dellorusso.net