Obituary of William Albert Atwell, Jr.

William Albert Atwell, Jr., 79, of Morgantown, passed away Friday, October 23, 2015, at Mapleshire Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center. Bill was born in Bluefield, WV on June 13, 1936, the son of the late William Albert Atwell, Sr. and the late Lorraine Maxine (Cline) Atwell. He was a graduate of Beaver High School (’54), received his BSAE from VPI and his MSCE from WVU. Bill was a member of the Morgantown Jaycees. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Morgantown and the Osiris Shrine. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church. A professional structural engineer, he started his career with Alex B. Mahood, Architects in Bluefield in 1959. After working in Virginia and South Carolina, in 1969 he became the cofounder and vice-president of Alpha Associates, Inc. where he worked until his retirement in 2009. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Nancy Landahl Atwell; two children: William Albert Atwell III and his fiancé Dr. Farnaz Safi, of Princeton, NJ, and Amy Elizabeth Atwell Woods and her husband Kevin, of Charlotte, NC. He is also survived by the children’s mother Isla Jean (William) Custer; and three grandchildren: Chloe Atwell, Ross Woods, and Nathan Woods. Family and friends will be received at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce St., Morgantown, on Thursday, October 29th from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Visitation will continue at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 309 Baldwin St., Morgantown, on Friday, October 30 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. with The Rev. Gerald R. Kliner, Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in East Oak Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in William’s memory to St. Paul Lutheran Church, 309 Baldwin Street, Morgantown, WV 26505.