Dr. William L. O'Connell, 78, of Garden City, died following a long illness Jan. 18, 2006. Dr. O'Connell was an associate professor of oral surgery at New York University School of Dentistry. Dr. O'Connell, a retired Garden City oral surgeon and former Nassau County Dental Society president, was honored by the Nassau County Dental Society in 2002 when he received the Society's prestigious Herbert L. Taub Award for distinguished service to the profession.

Dr. O'Connell had a long and illustrious career. He had been at the forefront of organized dentistry for many years. His involvement began when he served as president of the Catholic Dentists Guild of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1964. At the same time, he was actively involved in the Nassau County Dental Society, then a branch of the Tenth District Dental Society. This culminated in his service as its president in 1976. Simultaneously, he also edited the Newsletter of the branch society.

He served as editor of the Tenth District Dental Society's (TDDS) Bulletin from 1974 to 1981. He became president of the Nassau County Dental Society, by then a component society, in 1982. He had been a member of the board of directors of the Nassau County Dental Society (and TDDS) since 1966.

Dr. O'Connell served a three-year term as a member of the American Dental Association House of Delegates. He chaired the New York State Dental Association (formerly known as the Dental Society of the State of New York-DSSNY) Council on Ethics from 1993 to 1998 and was a member of this Council from 1987. During this period, the new and revised DSSNY Code of Ethics was promulgated - due significantly to his initiative. He chaired the DSSNY Council on Hospital Dental Service prior to its amalgamation into the Dental Health Planning Council. He served on the New York State Dental Association Council on Chemical Dependency for more than five years. He was president of the Nassau Academy of Dentistry from 1983-84. This organization was formed to serve as the educational arm of the TDDS.

Over the years, he served on and was active on several Nassau County Dental Society committees. Most recently, he chaired the New York State Dental Association Council on Relief (2002).

Dr. O'Connell was a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He held fellowships in the New York Academy of Dentistry, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the International College of Dentists. In 1992, he served as president of the New York State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and served as a delegate to the national organization for three years.

Professionally, Dr. O'Connell practiced in partnership with the late Dr. William F. Boyd for 33 years. He was attending oral surgeon at Winthrop-University Hospital, Mercy Medical Center and the Nassau County Medical Center.

He was awarded his BS degree from Holy Cross College and his MS and DDS degrees from Georgetown University. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Joan, six children, Suzanne (Paul) Scully, William A., Cathleen (Stephen) Johnson, Carolyn (James) McTiernan, Joan M. and Neil V., his sisters, Carol Heinze and Estelle Bennett, and seven grandchildren, Timothy, Michael, Caroline, Susannah, Emmett, Catherine and Margot.