Lawrenceville
William H. McCarrel, 91, passed away on February 23, 2022. Born at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, March 19, 1930 in the family of Elva Hill and Joseph Allen McCarroll. His early childhood was spent in Tinek, New Jersey, but in 1942 his father took a position at a submarine base in New London, Connecticut, and the family moved to Mystic, Connecticut. He graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1952 and decided to stay there for graduate school because of their strong program in solid state chemistry. In 1954, he underwent a summer internship at RCA Laboratories in Princeton and was then hired by them upon completion of the degree.
He met his future wife Chantal Glenzer at a dance on top of the then-Bamberger’s store in Princeton Mall. They married in October 1958 and settled in Lawrenceville. In 1967, he left the RCA to take a position in the chemistry department at Ryder College, which he held until 1992, when he chose early retirement so he and Chantal could spend more time together. He continued to sponsor research students until 2008.
Active in local politics, he was a strong supporter of the low-income housing project in the Egerts-Crossing district in the 1970s and briefly served on Lawrence City Council. He decided to retire early in 1992 so that he and Chantal would have more time to travel. However, Ryder allowed him to maintain a research lab where he mentored students interested in solid state chemistry, and he continued this pursuit until 2008. He participated in the Townships Meals on Wheels program and served as president of the organization for several years.
He is survived by daughter Monique Crosley and her husband Leonard of Danville, Pennsylvania, son Marcus McCarroll of Keane, New York; granddaughter, Amy Gendek Roussinuela and her husband, Peter of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, Eugene Gendek and his wife Angie, of Bordentown, New Jersey. Martha’s daughter and her husband Eugene have passed away. Daughter Marianne McCarroll-Powell (deceased) and her husband Dave Powell of Stockton, California, six grandchildren, Robert A. Sparr Jr., Ryan P. Sparr, Peter L. Ruzinjuola, Jacob W. Gendek, Samuel I. Gendek and Nicholas I. Gendek.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 5, at 10:30 a.m. at Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church, 2688 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, where Rev. Kyle Anderson will serve. The funeral will be private. The organization is run by the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, Pennington. Condolences are welcome on www.wilsonapple.com.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church.
