William Jackson Daughtry, age 87, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones on December 8, 2024.
He was born in New Harmony, Florida, on Jan 9, 1937, and died not a quarter mile from where he was born. He was a homebody, a lifelong Florida resident except for a brief stint in the army when the Alabama National Guard was mobilized during the Berlin Crisis.  He was stationed at Ft. Chaffe, Arkansas, and at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (1961-62). In his childhood, he walked to a small multi-grade-level elementary school in New Harmony, then transferred to Paxton High School where he graduated in 1955. He was a good student and a very talented athlete, majoring in basketball for the Paxton Bobcats. Even though Paxton had no gym in those days and practiced outside on a dirt court, they had an outstanding record all through William's high school years, winning several district championships and becoming Florida state champions his senior year.  After high school, he briefly attended Massey Draughon Business College in Montgomery before taking a job at Fort Walton Lumber Company.  In due course, the company moved him to Crestview where he managed Okaloosa Lumber. In 1965 he applied for civil service and began work in the commissary at Eglin AFB; in 1968 he moved to the Printing Lab where he worked for the Department of the Air Force and the Navy in Photolithography with security clearance in sensitive data. He received several awards for Sustained Superior Performance over his 28 year career and retired from Eglin AFB in 1993 at the age of 56. Thereafter, William's part time farming became full time, second only to fishing and hunting deer and turkey as his greatest pleasure. He was a successful farmer, adding acreage to the family farm homesteaded under President McKinley and once representing Walton County as Outstanding Farm Family of the year in Tallahassee (sponsored by Fam Bureau). William is preceded in death by his parents Alex Daughtry and Helen Ellis Daughtry.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 66 years, Dorothy Bess Daughtry, and two wonderful children, daughter Angie and son Bill. He is also survived by 8 siblings: one brother (Bob); 7 sisters (Pat, Shirley, Peggy, Wanda, Deborah, Donna and Dana) and numerous nieces and nephews as well as many other relatives and life-long friends.

The family would like to thank Emerald Coast Hospice for their genuine concern and care during the last few weeks of William's life. We would also like to thank Donna and Chris for always being there for us when a need arose.

Funeral services for William Jackson Daughtry will be 1PM Saturday December 14, 2024 at Evans Funeral Home with James Pickron officiating. Visitation will be one hour before services. Interment will be in New Harmony Cemetery.