William "Bill" Herman Dyer Jr.

William Herman Dyer, Jr., Bill, was born on Davis Island, Florida to William Herman Dyer, Sr., and Estelle Grimes on June 4, 1942: he was the oldest of three children Bill was raised in Atlanta and a graduate of Grady High School where he played football and was a member of ROTC. Bill served in the United States Coast Guard and graduated from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with an Engineering Degree. In 1965, he met Brenda R. Mills while she was working in Atlanta. They married in Orangeburg, South Carolina in August of 1967. Bill and Brenda were enjoying their 56th year of marriage. Nancy and Billy made their family complete. Bill was a third generation contractor. His grandfather, a home builder in Gainesville, Ga., built many of the grand homes that still stand today. Bill’s father, a commercial contractor, was the superintendent on the Franklin County, Apalachicola Court House during WWII which stands today. Knowing that he wanted to follow tradition as a contractor, Bill worked all holidays and summers for Ira H. Hardin Co in Atlanta. After graduation from UTC, he began working full time. In 1970, IHH sent Bill to Tallahassee to assist in building the Barnett Bank bldg. In late 1970, he came back to build the downtown Hilton which at that time was the tallest building in Tallahassee. During that time, he and Brenda maintained an apartment in Tallahassee and a home in Atlanta. Bill’s next assignment was to return to Tallahassee to build the Commonwealth Building. During that time Bill and Brenda decided that Tallahassee would be a wonderful place to raise a family. In 1973, W H Dyer Company, General Contractors was established and the move was never regretted. In 1977 Bill built his first Publix and Shopping Center (Killearn Center), after that he built many, many Publix Super Markets and shopping Centers in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina before retiring in 2017. Throughout his life, Bill was a hobbyist. Shortly after marriage Bill developed a love of orchids from Brenda’s parents and no matter where Bill lived, he maintained a green house. Bill had a love of car racing which he gave up after marriage. Over the years he began raising macaws, cockatoos, and finches. When daughter Nancy developed her love of horses, Bill sold his macaws to Busch Gardens for breeding. For 42 years Bill has enjoyed raising quarter horses and their babies for Nancy to show. In 1985 Bill decided to show his favorite horse “Fanny” Justa Fantasy one time. Bill won a World Championship. After a dash to the airport in Oklahoma he made it back to Tallahassee just in time to take a taxi from the airport for the FSU kickoff with trophy in hand. From the time Bill arrived in Tallahassee he was an avid fan and booster of FSU athletics. Until covid he had not missed a home game in 35 years. Loving all sports, he had season tickets to football, men and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball. Many fun times were had traveling to away games with friends. A member of Tallahassee Rotary Club Bill had over 40 years of perfect attendance. A past member of Springtime Tallahassee served as Krewe Chief and on Jackson’s staff. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his son Billy (W H Dyer, III) his brother Robert, and sister Mary. Bill is survived by his wife Brenda, daughter Nancy and fiancé Ted Turner, sister-in-law’s Robbie Fulmer and Joanne Dyer and a number of nieces and nephews. Bill is also survived by Sophie D. Barnes (George), Stevie DeSimone, and Sydney DeSimone who Bill dubbed his “adopted granddaughters” and their parents Steve and Tracy DeSimone of Hilton Head Island, SC. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Big Bend Hospice or your favorite charity. A celebration of Bill's life will be held at 2:00 PM, Thursday, March 16, 2023, at Bevis Funeral Home Chapel, 200 John Knox Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Rocky Bevis and Todd Wahlquist are assisting the Dyer family with their arrangements (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com).

Tributes

William "Bill" Herman Dyer Jr.

June 4, 1942 - March 12, 2023