An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” available on Amazon
End of Watch Wednesday, July 11, 1973
In the Springtime, the community of East Hill boasts its southern roots. The dripping Spanish Moss and the bloom of flowers – especially the azaleas and dogwoods – make the neighborhood scream “This is the South.” To enjoy a walk along East Jackson Street is a treat in itself, like taking a step back into history. The old Victorian houses and the fragrance of many kinds of flowers, along with the agreeable weather make one long for the old days.
After high school, Raymond Gambill Jr. went into the U. S. Air Force during WWII and made a career out of his choice after the war. William, his younger brother, joined the U. S. Army in July 1946. Afterward, he attended Florida State University, where he got a degree and a wife. William married Doris Anderson on September 9, 1951.
William and Doris soon gave birth to two sons – Raymond and Clayton, and two daughters – Dana and Melanie. As the family grew, William found a home on McClean Drive, near the present intersection of 9th Avenue and Olive Road.
William’s job was to supervise officers who maintained vigil over offenders who had either been given probation by a judge or released from state prison on parole. was killed in an automobile crash while supervising prison inmates who were out on parole in Escambia County.
On Wednesday, July 11, 1973, Officer Gamble, 45 years old, was at work when the car he was driving crossed the center line of Davis Highway and struck another vehicle. The head-on collision killed Officer Gamble immediately. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer Gambill had served with the Florida Probation and Parole Commission for one year. He was survived by his wife, Dolores Anderson Gambill, two sons, Raymond Gambill and Clayton Gambill, two daughters, Dana Gambill and Melanie Gambill, and his mother, Virginia Hoffman Gamble.
Rest easy, Sir.
