S. Bruce Hotaling, 76, Longtime Edwards Resident, Passes Away

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S. Bruce Hotaling, a 76-year-old resident of Edwards, New York, passed away on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at Canton-Potsdam Hospital. Hotaling was born in Fulton, New York in 1949 and graduated from Harrisville Central School in 1968. He worked at the Newton Falls Paper Mill from 1968 to 1990 and then as a corrections officer for the Department of Corrections from 2000 to 2015, retiring in July of that year. Hotaling is survived by his wife Patsy, their two children, seven grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren.

Why it matters

Hotaling's passing marks the end of an era for the small town of Edwards, where he had lived for decades and was an active member of the community. His career at the Newton Falls Paper Mill and the Department of Corrections highlights the changing economic landscape of the region, as manufacturing and public sector jobs have declined over the years.

The details

Hotaling was born on April 10, 1949 in Fulton, New York to Clifton J. and Thelma (Hooper) Hotaling. He married Patsy A. Hall on April 7, 1968 at the South Edwards Methodist Church. Hotaling was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Pine Tree Hunting Club, and his favorite hobby was raising honeybees, selling his honey under the label 'Seymour's Honey'.

• Hotaling was born on April 10, 1949.
• He graduated from Harrisville Central School in 1968.
• Hotaling married Patsy A. Hall on April 7, 1968.
• He worked at the Newton Falls Paper Mill from 1968 to 1990.
• Hotaling worked as a corrections officer for the Department of Corrections from 2000 to 2015, retiring in July of that year.
• Hotaling passed away on Sunday, February 15, 2026.