William Carleton Shanley III

William Carleton Shanley III, the son of Mollie Kelly and William Carleton Shanley Jr, passed away at age 91 of natural causes on September 14, 2016 at his home in Rowayton, Connecticut.  He was the loving brother of Richard Shanley and the late Effie Shanley Harriss, husband to the late Grace Ross Shanley, whom he married in 1954, father of 6 children, 15 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren with a third on the way.  

Born in Roslyn, NY in 1925, William attended the Hill School before graduating from Cornell University with a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering, and Columbia University with a Masters in Chemical Engineering.  Following a brief stint at General Electric, he joined the American Sugar Company (forerunner to Domino Sugar Company) in their Brooklyn refinery as Assistant Plant Engineer. 

He gained modest notoriety when he helped salvage the construction project of the old Madison Square Garden when he heard foundation had been poured incorrectly and immediately sent a load of sugar to the site to mix into the concrete which stopped it from setting.

Over the next 45 years Bill rose in the ranks, eventually becoming President and CEO of Domino Sugar Company. He not only ran Domino for over 10 years, but is credited with leading the company through the volatile early 80s when corn subsidies and sugar quotas changed the face of the sweetener business. Along with his extremely loyal management team, Bill grew Domino into the national leader through innovation and acquisition.  He had the foresight to build a brand in a commodity business.  He retired in 1992 and served on several boards, including M&T Bank for many years after. 

Bill was an avid hunter and fly fisherman.  There was nothing he loved more than spending time with his family, and trusted golden retriever Rexie, on the grounds of his beloved Blooming Grove Hunting and Fishing Club.  Though a business success by any measure, he was a family man first and foremost who spent his retirement mentoring family endeavors and supporting his wife’s artistic passion, including the founding of the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. 

Survivors include his brother Richard Shanley, his children Sharon S. Sniffen, William C. Shanley IV, Thomas R. Shanley, Mary Evelyn S. Malloy, Timothy K. Shanley and Patrick M. Shanley, 15 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren with a third on the way.  A Funeral Service will take place on October 8, 2016, at 10 am at the Church of the Good Shepard in Blooming Grove, PA.  A lunch and celebration will follow at the Blooming Grove Club.   A “celebration of life” will take place at his home in Rowayton at a later date (TBD).  The Shanley Family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Center for Contemporary Printmaking (on line donations at http://www.contemprints.org/; checks can be made out/mailed to Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Mathews Park, 299 West Avenue. Norwalk, CT 06850). 

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