Bill Carroll, Former FBI Chief in County, Dies at 68

FOUNTAIN VALLEY — Bill Carroll, a veteran FBI agent who oversaw the agency’s rapid growth in Orange County during a decade-long term as supervisor, has died of cancer. He was 68.

Carroll, who retired from the FBI in 1978, died Thursday at his home here, family members said.

Carroll oversaw the agency’s Santa Ana office as the FBI was becoming increasingly involved in undercover surveillance, fraud investigations and bank robberies in a growing county, said Jim Donckels, an FBI special agent who worked with Carroll. During Carroll’s tenure, the office in Santa Ana grew from five to 25 agents.

Carroll joined the agency in 1950 after two years of playing in the Cincinnati Reds baseball farm system, said his eldest son, Patrick, 42.

After working in New Jersey and Michigan, Carroll transferred to the Los Angeles office in 1952, then to Santa Ana in 1965.

After his FBI retirement, Carroll worked for six years for Fluor Corp. in the security division.

In 1986 he began working in community relations for Henry T. Segerstrom, the real estate developer and arts patron, his son said. For the past two years, Carroll prepared background investigations for the Department of Defense, his son said.

A service for friends and family will be conducted Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Vincent’s Church, 8345 Talbert Ave. in Huntington Beach.

Carroll is survived by his wife and 10 sons and daughters.