Willie Junior McGrady, II
Birth: December 19, 1967
Death: May 17, 1999
Obituary
Willie Jr. McGrady II, 31, formerly of Palatka, died Monday, May 17, 1999, at the Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan, Ala.
He was a native of Dothan and was born at the Southeast Alabama Medical Center. He attended the public schools of Putnam County and graduated from Palatka High School in 1987. During his high school years, he was a standout football player, weightlifter and was also a member of the state championship wrestling team receiving numerous honors. He earned his B.S. Degree in Therapy Regulation at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Since 1995, he was employed as a juvenile probation officer in Marion County at the Department of Juvenile Justice. He was loved and well respected by many and will be dearly missed.
His father, Willie Jr. McGrady Sr. preceded him in death.
To cherish his memories are his wife, Jacqueline Danzey McGrady of Ocala; son, Master Willie Jeremiah Jacquez McGrady of Ocala; mother and step-father, Elese and Henry L. Calhoun of Palatka; brothers, Townsend “Baby Boy” Harris of Orlando, Milton McGrady of Dothan, Ala., Rakeem Calhoun of Palatka; sisters, Glory Gilyard, Lisa McGrady, Katrina (Frank) Bell, Felicia Wilson, Montoya (Lawrence) Sharpe, all of Palatka, Francis McGrady, Keisha McGrady, both of Dothan, Ala.; grandparents, Josephine Allen, Lovata Calhoun, and Cora and Russell Miller, all of Palatka; great-grandmother, Mattie Meyers of Palatka; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jack and Ruby Danzey of Dothan, Ala.; a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, god-daughters; other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, 2 p.m. at Palatka High School, with Brother Russell Miller, officiating. Interment will be in Palatka Memorial Gardens. Flagg-Serenity Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements. (Palatka Daily News Obituary dtd 21 May 1999.)
Burial: Palatka Memorial Gardens, Palatka, Putnam County, Florida, USA
Criminal Details
No criminal details found.
Testimonials
July 24, 2013:Willie J. McGrady (12/19/1968 – 5/17/1999). Willie McGrady of Palatka, Florida via Dothan, Alabama, played middle guard/ nose tackle and fullback for Galen Hall‘s Florida Gators from 1987 to 1988. At 6’3″, 247 pounds, and blessed with 4.5-speed, he was strong enough to pave the way for Emmitt Smith as blocking fullback or plow through opposingSEC offensive lines as middle guard/ nose tackle–in the same game! Willie was the first Gator to play both offense and defense in the same game since the mid-1960s when NCAA mandated two-way play for scholarship players. Willie loved hitting people so much, that he was also used on punt and kick coverage. Opposing players often remarked that they would avoid hitting him or aim for his shoelaces, because he was so solid and painful to hit. Although Emmitt Smith was a great running back in his own right, he often gives credit to Willie for paving the way during his freshman and sophomore years, most notably Emmitt’s 224-yard coming out party against Alabama in 1987. Unfortunately, Willie was diagnosed with congenital neck problems and was forced to leave the team after his sophomore season of 1988. Dejected and depressed, he wandered up and down the east coast and spent some time in prison before deciding to get his life together. He returned to University of Florida in 1992, finished his degree in therapeutic recreation in 1994, met his future wife and began his new life helping emotionally handicapped kids. Tragically, Willie was shot and killed in May of 1999.