William L. Nightingale, 88, died suddenly the morning of October 6,
2019 after celebrating his 70th high school reunion with classmates in New York City. He will be fondly remembered for his enthusiasm, quick wit, and generous spirit.
A resident of The Osborn in Rye, he leaves behind his beloved wife Nancy Bomeisler Nightingale, to whom he was married for 65 years; his daughters, Vicki Nightingale and Jill Burstein (Dan), whom he cherished, and his grandchildren, Katherine McGinn (Trevor), Alison Burstein, and Samuel Hettich, of whom he was immensely proud. He is survived by his brother, Dr. Stuart Nightingale (Elena) and sisters, Alice Gross (Elliot) and Susan Nettler (Paul).
A devoted alumnus of both Horace Mann ‘49 and Yale University ’53, he was a class leader for AYA and treasurer of his Yale class for over a half century. He served a term on the Board of Governors at Yale. He thrived on making connections between people and companies, whether mentoring Yale graduates in his advertising agencies, or creating a debate program for Yale/Princeton students to mentor high school debaters for the Yale Westchester Alumni Association.
A talented cartoonist, his work appeared in The Yale Daily News and The Fort Dix Newspaper, while serving in the United States Army. His own vast collection of books on comic illustrators was gifted to the permanent collection of the Beinecke Library at Yale, one of his many charitable contributions to the University.
Mr. Nightingale was a founder of several boutique advertising agencies. He was a business innovator, founding the first modular advertising agency and pioneering the concept of profit-sharing agency/client partnerships. At CasonNightingale, which he headed for 29 years, he nurtured the careers of several generations of Yale students, many in their first hired positions.
Donations in Bill Nightingale’s name may be made to BrightFocus.org in support of macular degeneration research.
