Bill Dudley, beloved coach and public servant, dies at 80

Bill Dudley with his wife, Michelle Timmel Dudley, passed away April 8, 2024. Image via Bill Dudley Facebook.

Bill Dudley, a former St. Petersburg City Council member and former Pinellas County School Board member, has passed away. He was 80 years old.

Dudley suffered a stroke and did not recover, according to a post from his wife, Michelle Timmel Dudley.

A visitation will be held Thursday at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery located at 5750 49th St. N. in St. Pete from 3-8 p.m. A funeral service will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church located at 4301 16th St. N. in St. Pete, followed by an interment at Memorial Park. A celebration of life will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Northeast High School in the gymnasium, located at the corner of 16th St. and 54th Ave. N. 

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, individuals consider making a donation to the Northeast High School Athletic Hall of Fame in honor of “Coach” Dudley. Those interested can send donations to:

NEHI Athletic Hall of Fame

PO Box 55901

St. Petersburg, FL 33732

Memo: Bill Dudley donation

Bill Dudley, who was known by most simply as “coach,” was an educator at Northeast High School for 37 years, where he left a mark on countless students and colleagues.

He was first elected to City Council in 2007, and took office in 2008. He served until he reached term limits and, in 2018, ran successfully for the Pinellas County School Board.

Dudley was a registered Republican who, in recent months, has backed several conservative candidates for local office. But to watch him govern — whether on the School Board or from the dais at City Hall, one could be forgiven for not noticing Dudley’s political leanings.

He asked thoughtful questions, governed with respect for all and wasn’t afraid to buck partisan trends if he felt it was right.

But Monday afternoon, tributes were already rolling in for the longtime educator and coach.

Laura Hine, a former colleague on the School Board, called Dudley a “dear man” and said it was a “privilege to have served even just a couple of years with him.”

“Bill Dudley served this community his entire life from coaching and teaching in our schools to city council to our school board, he was always ready and willing to raise his hand,” she wrote on Facebook. “This country is built and re-built every day by those who participate in it whether it be church, the sports fields, government or any volunteer work, and Bill did it all.”

She further lauded Dudley for his ability to bring laughter to the sometimes tense School Board dais, and remain “committed and kind.”

Robert Blackmon, a former St. Pete City Council member who considered Dudley a mentor. Dudley supported him when he first ran for Council in 2019.

“He dedicated his life to public service, be it molding young minds as a teacher and coach at NEHI, or advocating for a better St. Pete from the halls of government,” Blackmon wrote. “While he wore many hats during his life, all of his roles were focused towards helping others.”

Blackmon went on to call Dudley “one of the most humble people to have ever served our community.”

“He viewed service to others as a duty, to repay all the blessings he received throughout his life,” Blackmon wrote.

Dudley just celebrated his 80th birthday on March 3. He had nearly 300 well-wishes on Facebook, a testament to his decades of relationships cultivated in St. Petersburg throughout his career.