Emory B. Williams

Emory B. Williams of Tallahassee, Florida, passed away peacefully the evening of May 23 with family by his side. Emory was born in Graceville, Florida, to Robert Wade and Nannie Eleanor Williams on April 23, 1937. Emory graduated from Graceville High School in 1955 and immediately left the family farm to pursue a career in law enforcement. The beginning of his career was with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Washington, DC, as a fingerprint analyst. It was during this time that he met his wonderful wife Dorothy (Dottie) Harvey. Dottie had also left the family home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, after high school graduation, and by chance they both lived in the same boarding house in Washington. They were married in 1958, and the following year, they had their first son, Brian Thomas Williams. Soon after, in 1960, they left Washington to return to Emory’s home state of Florida, where he became a deputy sheriff for the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. In 1962, their second son, Kerry Lee Williams, was born in Panama City. During 1962, Emory became a deputy sheriff with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee. From there, he moved to the Florida Sheriff’s Bureau in 1964 and in 1967 joined the newly created Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). In 1969, Emory graduated from the 83rd Session of the FBI National Academy, receiving his diploma from the President of the United States in the East Room of the White House. In 1974, he earned his bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Florida International University. Emory retired from FDLE in 1977 as deputy commissioner. In 1977, Emory—along with the former commissioner of FDLE, Bill Reed—co-founded Diversified Management Research. In 1978, they co-founded the Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) in Tallahassee. In 2000, Bill passed away, and Emory continued to lead IIR, which become known as the preeminent training and technical assistance firm for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the United States. Emory served IIR as chairman through September 2020. He remained a member of the board until December 2022, when he officially retired from IIR. Emory was eternally grateful to all the men and women he had the opportunity to work with as IIR was built. Emory was preceded in death by his mother and father along with three brothers and four sisters. Emory is survived by his loving wife Dottie and his two sons Brian (Laurie) and Kerry (Jennifer). He is also survived by his three grandsons, Tyler, Dylan, and Ryan, who became another chapter in his life that gave him great pride, joy, and love. A celebration of Emory’s life will be held at 11:00 AM, Thursday, June 1, 2023 at Bevis Funeral Home, 200 John Knox Rd. Tallahassee, FL 32303. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Project, 301 E. Tharpe St. Tallahassee, FL 32303 (www.Alzheimersproject.org). Todd Wahlquist is assisting the Williams family with their arrangements (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com)

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Emory B. Williams

April 23, 1937 - May 23, 2023