William J. “Bill” Farrell, 83, of Manchester, NH passed away on December 11, 2015.
He was born on December 28, 1931, the son of Mary (Doherty) and Henry Farrell.
Bill was born in Boston, MA and grew up in Charlestown. He graduated from Malden Catholic High School and received an undergraduate degree from Boston College while working nights as a messenger for the Boston Globe. He served two years in the United States Navy during the Korean War. Bill taught at the Latin School in Boston and received his Master’s degree from Boston College.
Bill became a Professor of Sociology at Saint Anselm College in 1957 and received an Honorary Doctorate degree from the College in 2007. While at Saint Anselm, he was actively involved in the Faculty Senate being the principal author of its Constitution and served as President from 1970 – 1973 and from 1980 – 1982. Among many College accolades, he received the Faculty Excellence Award in 2004. Bill retired in 2011 after 54 years of teaching in the Sociology department.
Bill was elected to the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Known as “The Voice of the Hawks”, he was the announcer at the Saint Anselm College basketball games for more than 50 years. Bill was also known as the Commissioner of the “Noontime Basketball League”, a league he played in until 2006.
Active in his community, Bill was one of the principal founders of the NAACP in New Hampshire and served as its charter Vice President. He served for many years on the Board of Serenity Place, receiving its Courage to Change award in 2000.
Among his many years of political activism, Bill was actively involved in the presidential campaign of Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in that year as well as a State delegate in 1970.
Bill leaves his loving and devoted wife of 32 years, Patricia; one son, Robert Farrell of Marion, MA; four daughters, Moira Farrell of Swampscott, MA, Siobhan Stanford and husband David of Sandwich, MA, Deirdre Farrell of Newburyport, MA, and Megan Farrell of Edgartown, MA. In addition, he leaves behind his two step-daughters, Peg Bourque of Hooksett, NH and Maureen Gallagher and her husband Chris of Needham, MA; one step-son, Brian Leaming of Hartford, CT. Bill was blessed with seven beautiful granddaughters who will miss his magic tricks at the dinner table-Kasie and Calie Bourque, Cady and Erin Gallagher, and Haley, Gabriella and Samantha Leaming. He was predeceased by his son, Michael Farrell and his brother, Robert Farrell.
A memorial Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Tuesday, December 15, 2015 in the Saint Anselm Abbey Church. Urn burial will be at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Bill and Pat Farrell Scholarship Fund, Care of Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102.