MCDONNELL, William J. of Atlanta, Georgia, formerly of Boston, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on January 31, 2026. Bill was the beloved husband of the late Helen T. (Davis) McDonnell, with whom he shared 55 years of marriage.
Born in 1932 in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, Bill was the son of Irish immigrants and was raised with a strong sense of faith, responsibility, and service. He attended Mission High School and was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Boston College in 1953.
Following college, Bill proudly served in the United States Army, spending two years stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. He was honorably discharged in 1955, and later remained active in the Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Captain.
In 1959, Bill married the love of his life, Helen Davis. Together they raised four children, first in West Roxbury and later in Medfield, Massachusetts, where they moved in 1972. He was an active member of St. Edward Catholic Church, where faith and family were central to daily life.
In 1962, Bill began a distinguished career as an actuary with Marsh & McLennan and as a retirement consultant with its subsidiary, Mercer. He was a Principal and Senior Retirement Consultant in Mercer’s Boston office, and an expert resource for the entire Eastern Region. In 1984, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where he became Principal and Retirement Practice Leader for Mercer’s Atlanta office and the Southern Region, building the practice while advising both private- and public-sector clients, including BellSouth Corporation and the State of Georgia. He retired in 1997 after more than three decades with the firm.
Above all else, Bill was devoted to his family. He was a loving father to Christine M. Frier and her late husband Jim of Newnan, Georgia; Janet A. Trafecanty and her husband Tim of Franklin, Massachusetts; Joseph P. McDonnell of Kennesaw, Georgia; and Stephen W. McDonnell of Louisville, Kentucky. He was a proud grandfather to Ashley, Anthony, Angela, Michael, Jillian, and Ryan, and a proud great-grandfather to Zeke, Stella, Jaxx, and Isabella.
Bill was predeceased by his sisters Irene M. Welter and Beatrice M. Davidson, and his brother J. Paul McDonnell. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be held at the P.E. Murray - F.J. Higgins, George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home 2000 Centre St. West Roxbury on Sunday, February 8th from 12-3pm. Funeral from the funeral home on Monday, February 9th at 9am, followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Theresa of Avila Church, West Roxbury at 10am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment St. Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Bill's memory to the Alzheimer's Association , 480 Pleasant St., Watertown MA 02472.