Powell, A. L. (Bill) age 89, of Minneapolis. Born October 27, 1925 in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. Parents: Canon A. G. Powell, Theological Scholar and Anglican Minister and Muriel Cheney, Professor of French and Botany, Melbourne University. Powell died Tuesday, October 28th at 4:26 PM. Educated at The King's School (Parramatta, NSW) church and military private academy. Joined the Royal Australian Air Force (1943) and became a flying officer in the single-engine fighter group. After WWII, he joined the staff of the Sydney Morning Herald as a journalist. Assigned to Canberra, the Capitol Bureau, he covered assignments in the Senate and Foreign Affairs Department. Hired in 1946 by the U.S. Ambassador to Australia, Robert Butler (St. Paul, MN), as press attaché. In 1948, he transferred (with the ambassador) to Havana, Cuba. In 1949, he moved to Minneapolis with a letter of introduction to John Cowles, Sr., publisher of Minneapolis newspapers, Star and Tribune, who steered him into a career in public relations and advertising. Starting with Pillsbury Flour Mills, Inc. (now The Pillsbury Company) as a publicist in 1950, he became Director of Public Relations (PR), then the company's first Director of Corporate Communications, bridging their PR, Advertising, Brand Images and Promotions departments. Among his tasks was to assume responsibility for publicizing The Pillsbury Bake-Off. In addition, he managed the team of Pillsbury and ad agency (Leo Burnett) executives who developed and introduced The Pillsbury Doughboy in 1965, and the subsequent management of its image. With ad agency BBDO (NY), he managed the national development and introduction of Pillsbury's acquisition of Burger King, and the "Have It Your Way" campaign. In 1958, he was president of the Minneapolis Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and has been a member of The Minneapolis Club since 1960. In 1970, he resigned from Pillsbury to open his own consultancy with partner Richard Johnson (from Minneapolis ad agency Campbell Mithun) to serve major food corporations in long-term marketing strategy and new business development. This extended to non-food industry clients that included 3M, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, and the do-it-yourself (DIY) industry. After the death of partner Rich Johnson in 1995, he closed Johnson, Powell and Company and joined Campbell Mithun to serve as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development until his retirement in 1997. Civically, he was instrumental in aiding the Theatre de la Jeune Leune in their initial efforts to establish themselves in the Twin Cities. He also served as Board Chairman of the Children's Theatre Company in 1985. He is survived by his beloved wife Barbara C. Bencini and former wives, Leora Barthel and Mary Schultz Powell; daughters Beth Parkhill and Julie Ann Mackenzie; and sons Bruce George Powell, Robert Arthur Powell and John William Powell, all of Minneapolis, and grandchildren Christopher Taylor, Heather Saucier, Curtis Mackenzie, Kelsie Bird Mackenzie, Andrew Powell, Audrey Powell, Cameron Powell and William Powell. Memorial service to be held Wednesday, November 5th at 4:00 PM, at Cathederal Church of St. Mark 519 Oak Grove Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403, with a reception at the Minneapolis Club 729 S. 2nd Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55402 immediately after the service. The family requests no floral arrangements or gifts. However, cash donations to the following foundation in the name of Bill Powell are appropriate: The Foundation of the Cathedral Church of St. Mark - 519 Oak Grove Street, Minneapolis, MN. 55403, Attention: Pat Betsinger.