Warde Football Game Postponed Due to Death of Danbury Assistant Coach

Due to the  Robert "Bo" Williams, Friday's high school football game between Danbury and Fairfield Warde has been postponed until Saturday at 10 a.m.

Williams, 56, passed away Wednesday night after suffering a heart attack while working out at at his home.

A retired Danbury police officer and long-time volunteer coach with the Danbury PAL, Williams played football for the Hatters and was a member of the class of 1973. His son, Eric Williams, is Danbury's defensive coordinator.

The decision to postpone the game was made on Thursday.

As a 24-year member of the Danbury Police Department, Williams, who was also called "Bo Willie",  served in many rolls, including the youth bureau, the general investigations unit, SWAT, PBA president and DPD Local 891 union president.

He  also served as director of PAL and the Danbury High School Hall of Fame.

"He was one of those guys who always seemed like he was in a good mood whenever he saw you. He liked who he was," said Danbury Fire Chief Geoff Herald, who graduated with Williams from Danbury High School.

The class included Herald, Williams, T.J. Weidl (Deputy Fire Chief), Danbury Police Captain Mitch Weston and Police Captain Tom Wendel. The class also included Steve Kaplanis, now deceased, who was another big contributor to Danbury's children.

Williams worked with PAL football and the Danbury High football players, as well as in the department's youth bureau.

"He was my coach in PAL. That was a long time ago now," said Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who halted the Veterans Day service for a minute to honor Williams. "He was dedicated to the children of Danbury. Steve (Kaplanis) and he were co-coaches. They really cared about the children."

Williams worked right up to the afternoon of his death with the football team, which postponed its Friday game to Saturday in his honor.

"It's an absolute tragedy," Weidl said. "You couldn't get any more American, any more proud to be an American than Bob. You knew he wanted to do something to protect the community."

Weidl said Williams, Weston, Wendel and himself were the "W's" in Danbury High School when each homeroom was divided by class and alphabet. That put all the "Ws" together.

"We'd see each other around, out for coffee. Once he was with the police and I was with the fire department, we'd see each other on the job."

Williams is survived by his wife, Rachel Ruopp Williams, and their three children, Justin, Eric and Sara. He is survived by his brother, Mark Williams, a detective sergeant with the Danbury Police Department in the youth bureau. He is also survived by his mother, Anna Williams, and by his two sisters, Anne Marie Conroy and Gina Carreras. He is survived by aunts and uncles and an extended family.