Doug Williams, beloved Sonoma County Fire Chief and community pillar, dies at 68

Doug Williams had an extraordinary memory and a unique gift for making people feel seen.

“He could name every person in the room and tell a little story about them,” recalled his wife, Jodie.

Williams, a central figure in Sonoma County, was born into the two oldest families. Until his retirement in 2015, he entered public service as one of the county’s most experienced and respected fire chiefs and helped create Redcom, the county’s fire and medical dispatch center.

In his later years, Williams focused on philanthropy, serving on local boards and service organizations. His sister, Jone Huffman, stated that “he was the good one”.

After a long battle with lung cancer, Williams died on October 16 at his home in Larkfield. He was 68 years old.

Karen Hancock, community outreach specialist for the Sonoma County Fire District, remembers feeling awe at the 2022 Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association meeting when Williams introduced each person to a room of more than 100 people.

“I was brand new and he still had all the history,” she said, referring to Williams talking about her professional past and children. “I was very impressed.”

Williams served as chief of the Rincon Valley Fire District and the county’s central fire department, which also served Windsor, for 18 years until 2015. The districts have since been consolidated into the Sonoma County Fire District.

He started in Rincon Valley in 1972 as an explorer, implementing a hands-on educational program designed to introduce young people to careers in fire and emergency services.

The California Fire Chiefs Association named him career fire chief of the year, and in 2023 he was inducted into its hall of fame.

Throughout his life, Williams served on various community boards, including the Mark West Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also involved with the Windsor Rotary Club and the Treasure House Consignment Store in Santa Rosa, which donates profits to local charities.

He valued his faith greatly as he was a devoted member of the Christian group Gideons International and regularly attended church at The Pursuit in Larkfield.

Williams loved trains too. He encouraged the creation and development of the Sonoma-Marin Area Transit Railroad and played a role in restoring the Cloverdale to Willits section of the rail system that is planned but not yet built.

He also worked with his son, Johnathan Williams, as a SMART ambassador, educating the public about the rail system, promoting its services and providing information to passengers.

“He always took public transportation whenever he could,” said John Lantz, an assistant fire chief who worked with Williams for years.

Williams, devoted to his family, made sure to come home every day at 6 p.m. for family dinners, unless a meeting clashed. For 40 years, he also called his mother every day at 3 p.m

Jonathan, Williams’ son, remembers that as a child he would end each day by watching “Gilligan’s Island” or “The Rockford Files” on videotape with his dad.

“We just enjoyed it together until I fell asleep,” he said.

Jodie added with a laugh, “Otherwise Doug will fall asleep first.”

According to his family, Williams could have fallen asleep in the blink of an eye.

“The rest of the time he goes 100 miles an hour,” his brother-in-law Kath Huffman was quoted as saying. Williams took every opportunity to catch up on sleep.

Williams was born on November 5, 1955 in San Francisco and raised in Santa Rosa by his parents, Howard and Ellen Williams. He adopted the name Doug after his mother’s maiden name, Douglas.

The great-great-grandson of James Monroe Williams, the first mayor of Santa Rosa, Williams was proud of his ancestors. He frequently added people to his online family tree, which grew to approximately 92,000 names.

Huffman, Williams’ sister, said she was proud of her older brother.

“He always liked to do the right thing,” said Huffman, his sister. “He never got into trouble. He played by the rules. He always had really good grades.”

He graduated from Montgomery High School and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he enjoyed studying math and once corrected a professor using an abacus.

In his later years, Williams opened his calculus textbook “to keep his mind sharp,” his wife said.

Jodie and Williams met through a mutual friend, became engaged, and married in 1992. She admired how he not only did his job well, but also worked to keep things moving forward for the good of the community.

Sonoma County Fire Chief Rob Bisordi said that early in Williams’ career, fire districts operated in isolation and had rigid boundaries. He said that thanks to visionaries like Williams, departments now collaborate and share resources. He noted that Williams helped create a central local fire and medical dispatch service that would be known as Redcom.

In addition to his professional achievements, Williams influenced the personal lives of those who knew him. Jodie remembered how many guests had visited him in the last days of his life.

“These people love him, and I (couldn’t) say no,” she said.

After a two-week stay in the hospital, Williams was transferred to home hospice. Jodie said he was peaceful when he died. “He never lost his smile or his concern for other people.”

A memorial service for Williams will be held on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road in Santa Rosa.

Staff writer Madison Smalstig can be reached at [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.