Bill Blue, 73, of Panama City, Florida, passed away at home on Thursday, August 12, 2021. Bill moved to Panama City in 2015 after retiring from the State of Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice in Tallahassee, FL.  Raised in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, he returned there in 1972 with his wife Betty after graduating from University of Florida.  He began working with his father, RC Blue, at Blue Motor and Equipment Company, and later at the Private Industry Council before moving with his family to Tallahassee in 1987.

He was an avid sailor and raced with a team on the sailboat Cher out of Ft. Walton Beach Yacht Club in the 1980s. He could also be seen on Lake DeFuniak in his sunfish with his daughter in tow, or any friend willing to sail back and forth in a lake that is just one mile in circumference. At the age of 64, he embarked upon a daring adventure with his college roommate to sail 1,000 miles from Curacao to Grand Cayman Island, and while crew and boat made it safely to port, Bill managed to return with just his swim trunks, flip flops and a t-shirt from the airport.

Bill's love for water sparked during his summers spent as a child living at Blue Mountain Beach with his brother and parents. He enjoyed canoeing with friends and fishing with his father and brother in local spots, but steered clear of kayaks and paddle boards after several unfortunate attempts to remain upright!

Bill was a friend to all – a kind and caring soul who would go out of his way to brighten your day, come to your rescue if you were stranded, or fix anything mechanical that was on the fritz. He was patient and thoughtful with a mischievous sense of humor and never raised his voice. Bill was known to say on more than one occasion, "if you want to hurt my feelings, you're going to have to tell me first." He enjoyed going on adventures with his daughter Erin both near and far, and they always had good stories to share upon his return.

Bill is predeceased by his wife Betty (Tallahassee) and parents Janie and RC (DeFuniak Springs). He is survived by his daughter Erin Blue (Columbus, Ohio), brother and sister in law Rob and Susan Blue (Panama City) and adoring nieces and nephew Bonnie, Jill, and Robbie.

Services will be arranged by the family at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Florida State Park Foundation at www.floridastateparksfoundation.org or to your favorite charity.