It's an understatement to say that Bill Hannan, who re-retired with his July 22 column on The Sun Chronicle's Prime Time page, will be sorely missed, but I'm going to say it anyhow, because Bill will be missed on many levels, of which his knowledge of local history and local sports history are only two such ways.

It is sad that Bill decided to call it a career again after retiring at 65 on Nov. 4, 1978, from the then young newspaper, The Sun Chronicle after working for many years for one of the paper's two predecessors, The Attleboro Sun.

Retirement, though, was very much a misnomer where Bill was concerned. Indeed, ever since "retiring," he was about the most active "retired" person you could imagine, not only in writing his weekly column, but also with his extensive involvement in the community.

Bill was faithful to the people he admired most - the readers - up to the end, as he only decided to retire now at 94, because, he told Staff Writer Gloria LaBounty, he no longer has the memory and energy that he once had. He clearly didn't want to produce something that he felt didn't live up to the quality that he expected of himself, even though those same readers still found his weekly columns every bit as informative and entertaining as they always were.

I didn't know Bill as long as many of my colleagues at The Sun Chronicle, but since 1989, I've gotten to know him well enough to realize that of all Bill's attributes, his class clearly and consistently stood out. Bill was always gracious to the "younger" members of the staff, of which I was one when I started here 18½ years ago. (Even at the mature age of 36, I was among the younger members, because the staff then, as now, was blessed with many experienced journalists.) My relative youth didn't prevent Bill from always saying hi and asking me how I was doing in a down-to-earth, no-frills manner that indicated he genuinely cared how I was doing. Bill's congeniality notably extended beyond the office, as he'd always have a friendly wave when he passed someone he knew while walking. Just the other day, I saw Bill walking across the street from me on South Main Street, when Bill spotted me, and we waved at each other.

Such friendly gestures - no longer the norm in the impersonal early 21st century when people are more tied to their cell phones than to fellow humans - were the essence of Bill, who enjoyed striking up conversations about any subject - talks that inevitably put a smile on your face because Bill had that effect on people.

That should not come as a surprise to anyone who read his columns, because Bill didn't merely write his historical column; he was still writing occasional editorials right up to his second retirement, and he made a point of keeping up with the news long past the point when most people would have been expected to do so.

His illustrious career in the newspaper business was justly rewarded in 2004, when he was inducted into the New England Press Association Hall of Fame, an honor that he said at the time was due to his longevity, but was not the sole reason; the other part of it was that Bill was good at - and cared a lot about - what he did.

Indeed, the man's passion for local history, writing and for sports - especially the Boston Red Sox - was legendary and it showed up in everything he wrote. When he wrote, people read, because they knew they'd inevitably learn something.

Bill's love for the Sox strengthened my relationship with him. I was always impressed that Bill was a 5-year-old when, pre-2004, the Sox last had won the World Series in 1918. Over the years, we would commiserate when the Sox would do their usual thing: tease the fans before folding. So, when the Sox won in 2004, I was really impressed that I knew someone who actually saw the Sox win the World Series twice in their lifetime.

Bill's passion for his work will be deeply missed. Those of us who know him respect his decision, and wish him all the best, but it doesn't mean that we have to like it, because in his departure, we're also losing another link to our collective past.

LARRY KESSLER is a Sun Chronicle local news editor. He can be reached at 508-236-0330 or at lkessler@thesunchronicle.com.