3:17 p.m., March 12, 2009----William Markell, Arthur Andersen Alumni Professor Emeritus at the University of Delaware, died March 11 at a hospital in south Florida where he was vacationing. He was 85. In January, his son, Jack, was inaugurated as Delaware's 73rd governor at a ceremony in Mitchell Hall on the campus.

Dr. Markell retired from the University in 1993 after a 35-year career as a professor and administrator. For many of those years, he served as chairperson of the Department of Business Administration and later as the first chairperson of the Department of Accounting. In 1991, he was named the Arthur Anderson Alumni Professor of Accounting at the University in honor of his distinguished service and reputation.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Delaware, he was a Fulbright Scholar and devoted himself to studying accounting practices around the globe and taught in countries including Botswana, Israel, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Bulgaria, France and Slovakia.

Dr. Markell served as a Board member of a variety of organizations including United Way, the Jewish Federation of Delaware, the Newark Free Library, the Newark Symphony, the American Accounting Association, and Temple Beth El, where he once served as principal of the Hebrew School. Dr. Markell also served on the audit committee of the University of Delaware, and on the audit committee of the state of Delaware pension fund.

A veteran of the U.S. Army. he studied and became fluent in Russian through the Army Specialized Training Program and served in Europe during World War II.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from City College of New York, a master's degree from the University of Denver and his doctorate from Teacher's College, Columbia University.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Leni, as well as three children, David and daughter-in-law, Mona, of Tallahassee, Fla.; Judy Weinstein and son-in-law, Alan, of Mendham, New Jersey; and Jack and daughter-in-law, Carla, of Wilmington. He also leaves behind nine grandchildren, Lauren, Russell, Dena and Sassy Weinstein of New Jersey; Rebecca, Jenny and Rachel Markell of Florida and Molly and Michael Markell of Delaware.

Services will be held at Temple Beth El in Newark at 1 p.m., Sunday, March 15. Shiva will be observed at the Markell home at 222 Hullihen Drive in Newark at 7 p.m., Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, March 15, 16 and 17.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Markell Scholarship Fund at the University of Delaware, Hullihen Hall, Newark, DE 19716 or Hadassah c/o 2302 Swynford Rd., Wilmington, DE 19810 or the Jewish Federation of Delaware, 100 West 10th St., Wilmington, DE 19801.