Apopka says goodbye to Alonzo Williams Jr.

Change in venue for Memorial Service

Alonzo Williams Jr., an Apopka City Commissioner for 24 years, died at 85.

Photo from the City of Apopka Facebook page.

Posted Thursday, January 25, 2024 7:27 pm

From Staff Reports

UPDATE:

Apopka says goodbye to an icon on Saturday.

Apopka City Commissioner Alonzo Williams Jr.'s life will be celebrated at a memorial service at 10:30 a.m. at the Apopka Community Center/VFW building. The event was previously scheduled to be at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

Mr. Williams died on January 9th at the age of 85 in Albany, Ga.

The change is that instead of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church as previously planned, the service will take place at the Apopka Community Center/VFW Building, 519 S. Central Ave., on Saturday, January 27, at 10:30 a.m. The reception will immediately follow the service, also at the VFW Building.

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"In December 1970, John Land won a resounding reelection with 590 votes against 175 for (Leonard) Hurst and 68 for (James) Meeks. J.D Gilliard was reelected, and Alonzo Williams defeated Myrtle Womble to become the first black person to hold an elected office in Apopka."

--Jerrell H. Shofner, History of Apopka and Northwest Orange County, Florida

The above passage is the only reference to Apopka City Commissioner Alonzo Williams in the definitive history book about Apopka, but his legacy went well beyond one sentence.

Williams died last week in Albany, GA, at the age of 85.

After his electoral victory in 1970, Williams served for 24 years on the Apopka City Council until retiring in 1994. He was also a businessman who owned two restaurants locally. The City of Apopka named the park on MA Board Street Alonzo Williams Park in his honor.

Apopka City Commissioner Alonzo Williams Jr.

His election to the Council came just two years after Apopka repealed a 1937 ordinance to "segregate the place of Residence and Business of White and Negro persons." No whites were permitted south of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad tracks, and no blacks north of it.

Flags will fly at half-staff throughout Apopka from Friday, January 26th to Sunday, January 28th, the weekend of the service in remembrance of Williams.

Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson will read a proclamation at the service to honor his service to the community and at the City Council meeting on February 7th.

Williams also served on the Lake Apopka Natural Gas Board. He was a member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church for over 40 years, where he served as a deacon. He was very active in the Progressive Seniors Club. He was also the first African American elected in Orange County, excluding the Town of Eatonville.

Rest in peace, Commissioner Williams. Your service to Apopka and your trailblazing nature will never be forgotten.