William 'Bill’ Cancellare, Sr., the iconic travel industry photographer, died May 12, 2013, following complications from a recent heart attack, he was 76.
Cancellare built up a company, News Events Photo Service, in industry news and events photography, following in his father’s footsteps and subsequently handed down the company to his son, Bill Cancellare, Jr. who continues in the business today.
The company was launched 90 years ago by Bill’s father Joseph T. Cancellare in 1923. It serviced all travel suppliers, tour operators, tourist offices, travel agent associations, cruise lines, hotels, public relations firms and both travel trade and consumer magazines.
Cancellare, Sr., was a staple on the decks of the cruise lines in New York in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including the former Home Lines where he regularly photographed celebrities before they sailed to Bermuda. His brother, Joseph G. Cancellare launched a branch of the company in Florida, the center of the growing cruise business. His company flourished in South Florida and was continued by his two sons Joe Jr. and Tom.
The editors of the trade press also relied on Cancellare to get them photos and captions of events that were taking place and have them mailed in time for deadlines. They knew that his photos would be reliable and also knew that each publication would have a different version of the event in photo form so as not to be repetitive of each other.
Reporters often found themselves traveling to conferences with "Bill Senior" and finding that he not only took photos, but had insights and often scoops about stories that were about to happen. He was a trusted friend to many of the top industry executives.
He is survived by his son, Bill Cancellare, Jr., his daughter Denise Cancellare, his granddaughter Deanna and a huge family of cousins, nephews and friends around the world.
Funeral arrangements are at Lieber Funeral Home at 266 North Central Ave., Valley Stream, NY 11580, telephone 516-825-2900. The family will be receiving guests there on May 14, 2013 and May 15, 2013, from 2-4 p.m. and again from 7-9 p.m. both days. There will be a Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church at 201 North Central Ave., Valley Stream, NY 11580 on May 16, 2013.