SHERIFF DOUG WILLIS

Doug Willis was sworn into office on January 3, 1961, by Judge Louis Myers. He was born in North Carolina on April 22, 1907. Doug grew up and was educated in the public schools of North Carolina. He served in the U. S. Marine Corps during World War II. After the war he skippered a yacht on Florida’s East Coast, and eventually became a state trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol. He was hired as a deputy by Sheriff McGehee and was eventually promoted to Chief Deputy.

Sheriff Willis held the office of Sheriff for three terms.

In 1962, a new modern jail and Sheriff’s Office was opened on Northwest 9th Street just east of Pine Street.  The new building contained all related functions, including communications, evidence, the jail, and all offices of the agency except the Civil Office, which remained in the courthouse. In 1962 this new facility was considered “state of the art”. The first floor contained the executive offices, a lab and evidence storage, records, radio room, and the jail booking area. Also on the first floor were the kitchen and laundry for the jail, and several jail cells.

The second floor was all jail cells with 9 cells which held 12 prisoners each and 5 isolation cells. Also on the second floor was a barber shop for the prisoners.

Major Martin Stephens, who had been a deputy under Sheriff Willis, recalled that one day a gas station owner in Silver Springs called Sheriff Willis about a problem he had with an individual over a television repair bill. Sheriff Willis told him that his problem was civil in nature and there wasn’t anything he could do for him. Before he hung up with the guy Sheriff Willis added; that if that guy had done that to him – he would “beat his ass.” 

A short time later a call about a fight at a gas station in Silver Springs was dispatched. When the deputy got to the gas station, broke up the fight and started to question the owner, he proudly admitted to beating the other guy’s ass; he said it was ok because the sheriff had told him to do it.(This story has been confirmed by three others who served under Sheriff Willis)

In 1964, a new courthouse was built away from the square, on the site where the jail had previously stood on Adams Street.  The site is still the location of the present courthouse, but the building has been added to and extensively modified on several occasions. This building also housed county commission offices, and all the other constitutional officers.  In 1965, over the protest of historical preservationists, the old courthouse on the square was demolished.

Two deputies serving under Sheriff Willis later moved on to political office. Deputy Gerald Ergle later served as a long time Ocala City Councilman and Mayor and Deputy Leroy Douglas later became a Marion County Commissioner. 

By 1972 Don Moreland held the rank of Captain and was in charge of uniform patrol. Towles Bigelow, who was the Sheriff’s nephew, was the chief investigator, and near the end of the Sheriff’s term was Chief Deputy.  Towles would later hold the same rank under Sheriff Ed Dean.   

50 Year Man

Under Sheriff Willis, and out of the stories of the Florida cowboy, Towles Bigelow started what would turn out to be a 50-year Law Enforcement career in Marion County. Towles was raised in Southwest Florida working summers on the large cattle ranches which dominated the area at that time. 

After a hitch in the United States Air Force Towles’ uncle, Sheriff Willis, offered Towles a job as a jailer/radio operator in August 1961. By the end of Sheriff Willis’s third term Towles would hold the rank of Chief Deputy. 

Towles knew he was not going to be retained by the new Sheriff after Don Moreland defeated Sheriff Willis in the 1972 election. Gordon Oldham, who at that time was the State Attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit hired Towles as his Chief Investigator. 

In 1984 Ray Gill defeated Gordon Oldham and Towles was not retained by the new State Attorney. Sheriff Moreland hired Towles back so that he could get his retirement time in. Towles retired and stayed out for a year. He then applied back with the Sheriff’s Office and was hired as a Deputy. This time he rose through the ranks, through three Sheriffs, and in 2013 retired with 50 years of law enforcement in Marion County.