Death of glazing firm boss and father

A Kingswinford businessman whose family firm had branches in Stourbridge, Dudley and Cradley Heath has died suddenly following a short illness.

Father-of-three Bill Carroll, aged 61, a founding member of Chapel Windows Ltd, died in Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, on Friday after battling with emphysema and heart disease.

He was the managing director of the family-owned glazing firm which has branches in High Street, Wordsley, Bevan Industrial Estate, Brierley Hill, and an office in Cradley Heath.

Big-hearted Mr Carroll, of Deane Avenue, grew up in Wordsley, Stourbridge, but had lived in Kingswinford with his wife Janet for the past 28 years. He was well known locally for his generous donations to a string of charities including the Wishing Well charity at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley Hospital Radio, and the National Association for the Relief of Apnoea.

He and Mrs Carroll even held an open summer fair event at their home in aid of leukemia research for five years. "He was a very generous man and extremely well known," said his brother Chris, aged 55. "We received a card from a family friend who described Bill as 'one of life's precious givers' and I think that sums him up perfectly."

Mr Carroll, who was a grandfather to Brittanie, 13, and Abbie-Lou, six, founded his original glazing business M and C Glass Company Ltd with a friend in 1964, just a few years after leaving school in Audnam.

Mr and Mrs Carroll have three children – Lisa, now 36, Emma, 35, and Charlotte, 30. They have two granddaughters and Emma's husband Dave also has a three-year-old son, Sam.

Mr Carroll's funeral will take place on Friday at Wordsley's Holy Trinity Church at 3.15pm, followed by cremation in Gornal at 4.10pm.