William "Bill" Frost Mobley

Bill was a visionary and a leader in the world of antique paper artifacts. He brought to every adventure the courage of a pioneer, but always coupled with his wide-eyed eagerness to share the wonders of his latest acquisition of chocolate ephemera. Whether launching new enterprises or sifting through dusty old scrapbooks, Bill inspired an entire generation of collectors and dealers with his enthusiasm, warmth, and expertise.

Bill passed away on July 16, 2024, at the age of 79. He was born to William and Kathleen Mobley, in Springfield, Massachusetts, on October 8th, 1944. He joined the Air Force on the day of John F. Kennedys assassination. Bill lived numerous places from New York to California over the decades, but he eventually landed in the Denver area, where he met his wife, Carol, and spent his final 28 years.

Within the world of paper collectibles, Bill was an early champion of the largely overlooked importance of ephemera by 1975 he left his career as a Volvo mechanic to become a full-time dealer in antiquarian books, prints, and maps, and by 1979 he was a leader in the campaign to establish The Ephemera Society (UK) and The Ephemera Society of America. He served tirelessly as a president, a promoter, and as an anchor conference dealer in the formative years of the Society, and then later as a founding member and resource for the Trade Card Collectors Association. His early American Enterprise work in organizing ephemera and publishing books and catalogs helped form a foundation for others to build upon. He was a longtime member of the Rocky Mountain Antiquarian Book Sellers Association, Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library, Antique Bottle Collectors of Colorado, and the Denver Postcard Club.

Bill was preceded in death by his father, William, and his mother, Kathleen, and he is survived by his wife Carol, three stepchildren Mark, Renee (Scott) and Jamie, and five grandchildren, brother Hugh, nephews Hugh and Michael, as well as his first wife, Emily Davis, with whom he maintained a close relationship. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Ephemera Society of America or any local animal shelter. Bill will be greatly missed, but his joy and passion for history and lithographic art will live on in the vast network of friends he touched.