FORMER STATE ATTORNEY YANCEY DIES AT 82

Quillian Yancey, who served Polk County in several positions, including State Attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit during the late 1970s, died Monday of heart failure at the age of 82.

Yancey served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1966-72, and was appointed Polk County Sheriff in 1976 after predecessor Monroe Brannen was indicted by a grand jury (Brannen was later acquitted). Later that year he was elected State Attorney, a post he held until 1984. During that time he was praised for updating the office's operations and establishing a white collar crimes division.

The imposing Yancey, who was well known for his Stetson hat and no-nonesense attitude, retired to his North Lakeland ranch, but he was not quite done with public service. He won election to the Florida Senate against Republican challenger Charles T. Canady (who later served as the area's congressman and now sits on the 2nd District Court of Appeal). But four years later he retired again, tired of dealing with a dysfunctional Legislature.

Friends and collegues were unanamious in saying that Yancey was a "Southern gentleman" who spurned cutting deals for friends and collegues, and whose word you could rely on.

The funeral will be held at 2:00 Thursday at First United Methodist Church of Lakeland.

RIP