Obituary of William Joseph O'Donnell

William “Bill” Joseph O’Donnell of Durham, NC, died at Hock Family Pavilion on August 4, 2018, at the age of 83.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carmaine Pelky O’Donnell; sons Kevin O’Donnell and Sean O’Donnell of Chapel Hill, NC; daughters Karen Dias (Vicente) of Chapel Hill,NC and Maureen Craun (Steve) of Durham, NC; grandchildren Alex Dias of Chapel Hill,NC and Elizabeth Dias Hoffman (David) of Durham, NC.

Bill was predeceased by his parents William Joseph O’Donnell and Nellie Louise Chadwick O’Donnell, and his brother Daniel Thomas O’Donnell, all of Shortsville, NY.

Bill attended Villanova University on a full scholarship, but left to pursue his love of baseball, signing a contract to pitch with the New York Giants minor leagues from 1953-1958. He traveled to many places while pitching, eventually leading him to Oshkosh, WI in 1953, where he met the love of his life, Carmaine. They married in 1955, settling in Oshkosh to raise a family.

Bill returned to school at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh to study psychology, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1968. In 1969, he went on to pursue his graduate education at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The family moved to Chapel Hill, NC in 1972 for Bill to complete his internship in clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina. He was employed by Alamance County Mental Health Center Children's Services of Burlington, NC and retired from there in 1995.

In his retirement, Bill enjoyed his beautiful beach property, his love of baseball, Tar Heel sports, and the Green Bay Packers. He was a long time member of St. Thomas More Church in Chapel Hill, NC.

A memorial service will be held at St. Thomas More Catholic Church on October 4, 2018, at 2:00pm. After the Mass and interment in the columbarium, a reception will follow in the church.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Duke HomeCare & Hospice (Hock Family Pavilion) of Durham, NC, Office of Development, 4321 Medical Park Dr., Suite 101, Durham, NC 27704.

Walker’s Funeral Home of Chapel Hill is assisting the family with arrangements.