William R. Toal Jr., 83, retired judge and former prosecutor

William R. Toal Jr., 83, of West Chester, a retired Delaware County Court judge and a former prosecutor, died Wednesday, Sept. 7, at his home.

He suffered from polymyositis, an inflammatory disease affecting the muscles, and died from complications related to the disease, son John said.

Judge Toal was elected a judge in 1973 and then president judge in 1990. Three years later, he was appointed senior judge by the state Supreme Court and served until 2010, when he retired.

Before his time on the bench, he worked in the Delaware County District Attorney's Office and rose to the rank of first assistant.

He taught his children to "treat everyone the way that you want to be treated," his son said.

It was not uncommon for defendants who were sentenced by the judge to later cross paths with him and thank him for being fair, his son said.

Judge Toal especially enjoyed presiding over naturalization ceremonies, because his father, who also was a judge, came to the United States as a child from Ireland.

Judge Toal was born in Philadelphia on Sept. 9, 1932. He graduated from Haverford High School in 1950, and in 1954 from what is now Bucknell University.

He earned his law degree from Temple University School of Law in 1961.

He met his future wife, Lolita, at Bucknell. They married in 1956.

Judge Toal was an accomplished collegiate athlete, avid Philadelphia sports fan, and coach for many youth teams.

He cofounded the Havertown Athletic Association, which established a youth soccer program. It is now called the Haverford Soccer Club and is one of the largest soccer clubs in Pennsylvania.

He also was a fan of the Chester High School basketball team and often attended games with Robert A. Wright, a judge from Chester.

In addition to his wife and son, Judge Toal is survived by sons William III and Robert, and five grandchildren. He also is survived by a brother.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, at St. John's Episcopal Church, 576 Concord Rd., Glen Mills. Friends will be received at the church on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m., and the following day from 9:30 a.m.

Donations may be made to the Myositis Association, 1737 King St., Suite 600, Alexandria, Va. 22314.

bmoran@phillynews.com

215-854-5983 @RobertMoran215