Former sheriff dies at 90

Don Moreland [Photo courtesy Marion County Sheriff’s Office]

Don Moreland, who served as Marion County sheriff from 1973 through 1992 — in an era that saw many firsts, including crimes like the high-profile Aileen Wuornos murder case and establishment of the current sheriff’s office complex — died Nov. 6 at the age of 90.

Moreland has been hailed as a “true lawman” by his former office and was known for sporting a signature flattop haircut.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods posted an announcement of Moreland’s passing on Facebook and offered condolences to his family and friends.

“I want to extend my most sincere and deepest condolences to his family, to those here who worked with him, and to the citizens who knew and admired him as I always have,” Woods wrote in the post.

Ann Moreland said of her father via text, speaking for the family, “We are all broken hearted.”

She called the loss a terrible “void” and said the only comfort is he is “with Jesus.”

Former Ocala Police Department Chief Morrey Deen said he met Moreland in the late 1960s when Deen was part of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office’s first horse mounted unit, which was organized by Moreland under his predecessor, Sheriff Doug Willis.

“Moreland was an inspiration to my future career in both civilian law enforcement and military service in the military police with Don also being a military veteran he was a wonderful inspiration to me and my future,” Deen wrote in a text.

Moreland, a native of Dawson, Georgia, served in the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1956 and joined the Ocala Police Department after his discharge, according to a Marion County Sheriff’s Department biography at marionso.com

“Sheriff Moreland was a highly respected and well-liked Sheriff, not only by his employees, but also by the public,” the biography states.

In 1957, Moreland was hired by Sheriff F.L. McGehee. Moreland assumed the office of sheriff in 1973 and remained in office for 20 years, according to the biography.

During Moreland’s tenure, then deputy Willard Pope was shot and legally blinded in an incident with an armed subject in 1980. Pope went on to become a circuit judge, the biography states.

Deputy Bill Rutherford was killed in a car crash near the entrance to College of Central Florida on Jan. 1, 1990. The driver of the other vehicle was found to be intoxicated, the biography indicates.

The biography details aspects of the case of Aileen Wuornos, a “female serial killer.” in 1989 and 1999, with six victims found in a four-county area including Marion. MCSO investigators worked the case.

Major “firsts” during Moreland’s tenure include naming the agency’s first female patrol deputy, Patti Lumpkin; first black sergeant, Stacy Dickson; and first black captain, Fred Cyprian. His time as sheriff also saw the first SWAT, Underwater and Negotiations Teams formed.

Moreland was instrumental in setting up sheriff’s office substations and modernizing weapons, the biography indicates.  Emergency Management operations was put under the umbrella of the sheriff’s office by the county during Moreland’s tenure, the MCSO website states.

The Marion County Jail was completed in 1985 at its current site, part of the MCSO Operations Center which opened in 1988. The center was named the Hammett L. Bowen Operations Center, in honor of Bowen, Marion County’s only recipient of
the Medal of Honor, who died in the Vietnam War while saving the lives of several fellow soldiers during battle.

Three authentic Medal of Honor medals minted in Bowen’s name are on display in the sheriff’s office lobby. The family bought the first medal to the office after Moreland made a speech on Veterans Day, according to the website.

Deen praised Moreland as committed to service to the community.

“Don Moreland was a wonderful sheriff and law enforcement officer who set a high standard of professionalism and commitment to our county, state and communities,” Deen wrote. “Don was an inspiring professional who loved this country and its communities and was dedicated to serve the people, from youth to seniors.”

An online Countryside Funerals obituary at countrysidefunerals.com states that a funeral service for Moreland will begin at 11 a.m. Nov. 12 at First Baptist Church, 2801 E. Maricamp Road, Ocala, with a viewing from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church.