Quinn McMillian Obituary – McMillian, who served as the Sheriff of Walton County for nearly two decades, has passed away at the age of 83. McMillian’s 19 years in his role as the chief protector of Walton County is the longest anyone has served in the role in the county’s history. He first took office in January 1981 after defeating then-incumbent Jessie Aubrey Carter, Sr. During his time as Sheriff, McMillian oversaw massive development for his department, which had just eight deputies overseeing the more than 1200 square mile county when he took office.
One of the first developments came at the end of 1983 with a new substation on South County Highway 393, which operated 24 hours a day. The new Sheriff’s Office building at 72 North 6th Street in DeFuniak Springs was put into commission in September of 1987. The new jail, which was designed with 101 beds, had additional space not just to house county inmates but also federal inmates, a move which Sheriff McMillian used to help pay off the debt accrued by the construction of the new jail a full year earlier than expected. One of the last projects Sheriff McMillian oversaw before being succeeded by Ralph Johnson in 2000 was the groundbreaking of a new substation on U.S. Highway 331 South.
Sheriff McMillian’s legacy as Sheriff was honored earlier this year when the Walton County Board of County Commissioners named the road to the WCSO Public Safety Complex in DeFuniak Springs after him. “Sheriff McMillian left a lasting legacy on the men and women of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the residents of Walton County,” said the Walton County Sheriff’s Office when speaking on McMillian’s passing. “He was passionate about the Office of the Sheriff and will always be remembered for his lifetime of service to the people of Walton County and the passion in which he served.”