William O. Law

ALBANY-
William Odell Law, 81, of Albany, went peacefully at home into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on January 13, 2023, after battling cancer. William was born in Gary, West Virginia. He was the seventh of eight children born to the late William and Martha Law.
He was predeceased by his childhood sweetheart and loving wife of 58 years, Carolyn, whom he married in 1962. They moved to the Capital Region in 1965 where they would raise their family.

William, known as Bill to his many friends and colleagues and Odell to his loved ones, was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, brother, friend and neighbor.

Known for his wisdom, he was sought out frequently for advice and counsel which he dispensed freely. Whether you were a family, church or community member reaching out, William was available to listen, offer help or to lend a hand no matter the time of day. And if you needed a smile or a laugh, he possessed a quick wit that he displayed until his dying day.
As smart as he was patient and thoughtful, William graduated in the top 10 of his high school class and was a graduate of West Virginia State University where he majored in chemistry.

He worked as a chemist for various companies, including Union Carbide, General Electric, and Norton Company. He left Norton Company to become director of Project Mercury, a now defunct program that prepared inner city residents to become chemical technicians. Following Project Mercury, he went to General Electric in Schenectady to work in Human Resources. He was also very involved with PIMEG (Program to Increase Minority Engineering Graduates) at General Electric.

William, who was once a cub scout den leader, enjoyed doing the occasional home remodeling project and working on his car. In his later years, he became president of the Mount Hope neighborhood association.
He was an ordained minister and a church elder at various churches prior to joining Loudonville Community Church where he was a faithful member for the last 37 years. During his time at Loudonville, he served as an usher and on the Elder Board, taught Sunday school, led a men's group and co-led a marriage ministry with his wife, Carolyn.
Above all, William was known for his devotion to his family, quiet leadership and his abiding faith in God. He is survived by his brothers Melvin Law and Griffin Law; sister Barbara Maxwell. He is also survived by his four children: Reginald (Cynthia), Gregory (Camille), Angell (Victor) and Lydia (James); eight grandchildren; four great-grandsons; seven step-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and many dear friends.
He was predeceased by his brother Dodford Law; sisters Lucille Streitferdt and Zelma Pritchett.

His family would like to especially thank the entire team from Community Hospice (Paul and Joe) and Interim Health Care (Shay, Jah-Lyiah and Margaret) for the excellent care of him in his final weeks.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Capital City Rescue Mission, PO Box 1999, Albany, NY 12201. Arrangements have been made by New Comer Funeral Home