William Raymond Dagnall, Jr.

Born: 9/23/1926 Died: 12/13/2011 Mr. William Raymond Dagnall, Jr., age 85, of Glen Farms, MD, passed away at Christiana Hospital in Newark, DE, on Tuesday, December 13, 2011. Bill was born September 23, 1926, in Fall River, MA, the son of the late William Raymond Dagnall and the late Mary (Garland) Dagnall. As a teenager, Bill was active in Boy Scouts and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He also attended DeMolay. He graduated from the B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River in 1943, and then enlisted in the United States Navy, serving aboard the USS Leyte during World War II. Following his honorable discharge from the military, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating with a degree in chemical engineering in 1950. While still a student at MIT, he met his sweetheart, Joyce, at a dance at the Franklin Square House in Boston. They married in 1950 in Georgetown, MA, after Bill’s graduation. Bill had a long and successful career as a chemical engineer. He worked at DuPont for several years while living in Pennsville, NJ, and then at Thiokol Chemical Corporation in Elkton for 19 years while living in Glen Farms. Bill accepted a position at Atlantic Research Company in Virginia, and he and Joyce moved to Manassas. After his retirement in the 1980s, they returned to Glen Farms, where they have lived since. Bill loved life and actively pursued many interests. He was an avid fisherman, an optimistic Red Sox fan, and a passionate bridge player with his wife, and he spent many years as a director for bridge clubs at Thiokol, the Newark Country Club, and the Newark Senior Center. Bill is survived by his wife, Joyce (Spaulding) Dagnall, originally from Georgetown, MA; his three daughters, Susan Dagnall, Katherine Dagnall, and Cynthia (Dagnall) Mullins; his son-in-law, David Mullins; his four married grandchildren, Douglas Mullins, William Mullins, Kimberly (Mullins) Barr, and Heather (Mullins) Estep; 11 great grandchildren; his half-brother, Russell Dagnall; and his cousin, William Goddard. Bill was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church of Newark. A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, December 17, 2011, at the First Presbyterian Church, 292 W. Main Street, Newark, DE, 19711, where visitation will be held from 10 am to 10:45 am. Interment will follow in Head of Christiana Cemetery, Nottingham Road, Newark, DE. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church at the address above. Bill was known for his kindness, consideration, and his willingness to help others, and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. We will see you later, Bill!