Uplands Village, Pleasant Hill, TN - The Reverend Doctor William (Bill) D. Carrell, Esquire died peacefully of natural causes on May 22, 2025, the eve of his and wife Janeen's fifty-fourth wedding anniversary, in Crossville.

Son of William T. and Edith Hasty Carrell of Midland, TX, he was born in Longview, TX, where he spent his boyhood years. He is survived by his spouse, Janeen Brown Eipper Carrell (1940).

The eldest of three, he is also survived by one sister, Marilyn Carrell Laging; his son-in-law, Anton Habsburg; sister-in-law, Jill Davis Brown; nieces, Hilary McGown, Lisa Scribner, Laurie Belcher, Karen Moser, nephew Lindsay Bass and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Ashely Byrd Carrell Habsburg; who lost her life to cancer in 2002 at 36; her mother, and Bill's first wife, Paula Anderson Carrell, who died in 1970 at 30, also of cancer. In addition, he was preceded in death by his sister, Nancy Carrell, Esq.

With minimal direction as a youth, Bill developed an inner guidance system that he trusted. He was known on occasion to abruptly dismiss those whose opinions and behaviors he considered foolish.

As a youngster he wasn't aware of his brilliance. With an IQ of 160, high school was a breeze. He then enrolled in the University of Texas, and graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree. A special professor ignited Bill's awareness of his keen intelligence and curiosity. Because of that, Bill knew he wanted to be in the halls of academia. He was unstoppable as he pursued three advanced degrees over his lifetime. He earned his masters and doctoral degrees in colonial history and the history of education from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University.

While in Nashville he embraced the teachings and activism of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, whose values would impact Bill's career choices and his life.

At Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, Bill taught and served as academic advisor to students pursuing doctorate degrees. He taught and, for several years, was the chair of the education department at Hiram College in Hiram, OH. It was there that he met and eventually married Janeen Brown Eipper, a member of Hiram's education faculty. He also taught part-time at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH, and at Kent State University's Business College in Kent, OH.

Bill later achieved his Juris Doctor degree from Cleveland Marshall Law School where he graduated second in his class, and was asked to teach there. After leaving teaching he became the assistant prosecutor in Akron, OH and then for Portage County, OH. He accepted the position of Public Defender of Portage County for eighteen years, defending those unable to afford legal defense. While still prosecuting, he felt called to ministry and completed his Masters of Divinity degree at Ashland Seminary in Ashland, OH. While still a public defender he worked part-time as pastor at the Congregational United Church of Christ in North Canton, OH. He retired from the practice of law in 1996 and moved to Florida to faithfully serve as a full-time pastor at Emmanuel U.C.C. in Sebring.

In 2000, Bill retired and he and Janeen began their RV adventures, eventually visiting 46 states and all of the provinces of Canada. In 2005 the couple moved to Uplands Village in Pleasant Hill, and they never regretted making that move.

Throughout his life Bill's hobbies were diverse and included voracious reading, soaring in glider planes that he piloted himself, dabbling as a HAM radio operator, and completing the New York Times daily crossword puzzles — with a pen.

Though Bill left Texas, Texas never left him. Throughout his life he touted his heritage on everything from license plates to t-shirts. The tall Texan was confident and no-one's fool. Still young at heart at 89, he once said that he wouldn't even call himself old until he reached the age of 80. He loved wearing his favorite sweat-shirt that read, "It's really weird being the same age as old people." One of Bill's later statements about life was, "I have finally given up pursuing the answers to answerless questions. I am content with taking life as it comes."

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.