William served in the U.S. Navy and was stationed on the USS Enterprise in the Philippines during the Vietnam War. He worked for the Penn Central Division of Conrail, and then was a municipal services specialist for PennDOT. William was a PIAA basketball official for 24 years, and vice preseident of the Spaulding chapter. He also volunteered for the Speical Olympics for 20 years.

William was driving to a basketball playoff game in Hollidaysburg, on Pleasant Valley Boulevard, when he had a head on collision with a vehicle driven by Jane E. Salisbury, 49, also of Altoona. Both died as a result.