McGuire Remembers Life, Legacy Of Fire Chief Doug Williams

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — California state Senate President pro-Tempore Mike McGuire issued a statement in tribute to retired Fire Chief Doug Williams, whose life was commemorated Tuesday at the Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa.

Williams died Oct. 16 after battling lung cancer. He was 68 years old. Williams dedicated his career to fire service. He was the longtime chief of the Central Fire Authority — a consolidation of Rincon Valley Fire and Windsor Fire, both of which he had previously worked for.

"There are very few humans on Earth who are as kind, generous, and dedicated as Chief Williams," McGuire said. "You’d be hard-pressed to find someone here in Sonoma County whose life wasn’t touched by the kindness and tireless leadership of Chief Williams. He was the epitome of a strong leader, a good neighbor, and a loving family man. An even though he retired from fire duty after over 40 years, he never stopped on behalf of his community, dedicating countless hours to philanthropy and community work. It was an honor to work with Chief Williams, and a privilege to call him a friend. Sonoma County is a better, stronger, and safer place to live because of this hometown hero."

Williams was named the California Fire Chiefs Association 2010 Fire Chief of the Year and inducted into CFCA’s Hall of Fame in 2023. He was a lifelong resident of Santa Rosa, a longtime community leader and a beloved Sonoma County public servant who will be greatly missed, McGuire said.

Deep Sonoma County Roots

Williams was born Nov. 5, 1955, in San Francisco to his parents, Howard and Ellen Wiliams. His great-great-grandfather, James Monroe Williams, was Santa Rosa's first mayor, and Williams was proud of his family's deep roots in Sonoma County.

Williams was raised in Santa Rosa and attended Montgomery High School and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

He began his fire service career as an explorer with Rincon Valley Fire in 1972. After achieving the rank of fire chief for Central Fire, he led the organization for 18 years.

Williams enjoyed attending local crab feeds to support the community organizations close to his heart. He held leadership roles with the Mark West Area Chamber of Commerce, Windsor Rotary Club and Treasure House Consignment Shop, and was a member of Gideons International.

Williams was a staunch supporter of the SMART Train and was instrumental in the restoration of the Cloverdale-to-Willits segment of the legacy Northwestern Pacific Railroad.

Williams is survived by his mother, Ellen Williams; sister, Jone Huffman (Keith); nephews, Kurtis (Amber) and Kyle (Shanelle); his wife of 32 years, Jo Ellen (Jodie) Williams; his son, Jonathan Douglas Williams; and father-in-law, John Priest. Doug was predeceased by his father, Howard Williams and mother-in-law Mary Priest.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

• the Sonoma County Fire Foundation, sonomacountyfirefoundation.com, 8200 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, CA 95492;
• the Rotary Club of Windsor, Community Foundation, windsorrotary.org/donate; or
• Gideons International Santa Rosa West Camp, P.O. Box 9262, Santa Rosa, CA 95405.