Bill was born in Johnstown, PA on March 4, 1923 to Chester and Louise Albert. He attended William and Mary on a full scholarship as a manager for the football team, and was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
After college, Bill joined the Army Signal Corp stationed in Hawaii and Alaska. He was assigned duty in Hawaii to design the system to monitor Japanese communications during WWII, and later helped install the communications system for a defense bunker in Colorado Springs during the Cold War. This inspired him to become an avid ham radio operator.
While on base in NJ he met Betsy Hall and it was love at first sight. She was the perfect complement to his “Mad Men” corporate NYC life. They had a rich and full life together for 63 years until her death in 2008. After the war he began a career with AT&T that spanned 38 years. Relocating up and down the East coast, they developed a love of travel and did so extensively.
Never one to be idle, after retirement from AT&T, Bill became a gentleman farmer in NJ, where he raised Angus cattle and took on a second career as a Realtor and Betsy became gardener-extraordinaire. In 1988, they moved to Asheville, NC, where he founded Albert Realty. In 2005 they moved to Greensboro to be closer to their children. Bill was an active member of Rotary, as well as a savvy investor and belonged to two investment clubs in Greensboro.
A man of many interests, Bill enjoyed music, especially classical; was an impressive amateur photographer; a great collector of coins and insulators, a passion ignited from his career with AT&T. He loved golden retrievers, especially Ginger, his "Love-lamb". He was passionate about collector cars and in 1967 bought one of the first BMW’s in America. He became an enthusiastic Duke basketball fan when his two grandsons attended Duke, and he often went to games. Bill had a wonderful witty sense of humor, and his use of pig-Latin was impressive. He had a magnetism about him with an ability to converse on many levels.
Bill’s family was his world and he was proud of the accomplishments in their lives. Bill and his eldest daughter, Nancy, had a special bond, where they would giggle uncontrollably and no one else understood what was so funny. Once Betsy died, he relied more on his other daughter, Sue. More than just a daughter, she became his “rock”, his touchstone and his friend and she will always cherish the close bonds they forged over the remaining years of his life. He considered himself fortunate when his grand-daughter Emily chose to attend Elon University. She faithfully came over for brunch on Sundays with her grandfather and they formed a special relationship that was a treasure to them both.
Towards the end of his life, his dedicated caregiver, Carmella Wood, greatly enriched the quality of his life with her sense of humor and compassion. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We also especially appreciate Nadia, Shaki, Ann, Shannon, and Sil. You each have a unique gift and we thank you for sharing it with him. We know our Dad would say, "Woof, Woof". Many thanks to Well Spring staff for making Bill and Betsy’s final years so comfortable and safe.
Bill was predeceased by his wife Betsy and their infant son William Jr. He will be greatly missed by his children, Paul F. Albert (Carol) of Roswell, GA; Nancy A. Biggs (Allen) of Candler, NC; Susan A. Maxwell (Jim) of Greensboro; and James D. Albert (Ann) of St. Petersburg, FL and his grandchildren: Clay, Ryan and Leigh Maxwell; Andy, Scott, Lindsay, and John Albert; and Emily and Laura Albert.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am Monday July 29 in the Well Spring Auditorium with visitation following.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Salvation Army at 1311 South Eugene St. in Greensboro, 27406.
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