William Joseph Darley, the former president and CEO of apparatus manufacturer W.S. Darley & Company, passed away at his home Tuesday at age 89.
Darley was the second generation to take the helm at the family-owned Darley & Co., which was founded by his father Stuart in Chicago in 1908. The company began manufacturing fire apparatus in 1926 and then started making water pumps in 1933 that became the core of its business.
Darley was president and CEO from 1960 until his son Paul took over in 1988. He was also president of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association (FAMA) in the late 1980s—his sons Paul and Peter followed him in that role—and was involved with the Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association (FEMSA).
"Of all his successes, Bill is most known not by what he did, but who he was," FAMA and FEMSA said in a joint statement. "He was a friend to all—kind, humble, accepting, funny, and true—and he treated all as though he'd known them forever."
Darley, who is survived by his wife Frances, six children and 12 grandchildren, will be laid to rest Monday morning at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, IL, before a memorial service is held in his honor at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Indianapolis next Friday.
