DETECTIVE SERGEANT WILLIAM B. DOVEY

BADGE 193 & 451, ID 1266

SDPD 10/20/1961 - 10/19/1992

07/17/1936 - 04/03/2026

THE THIN BLUE LINE

William “Bill” Dovey, Jr. left our planet on Good Friday, April 3, 2026. Bill was a faithful employee of the San Diego Police Dept. and loved his job. He was the last of several family law enforcement officers.

Bill’s maternal grandfather was Edgar Cooper who served many years on the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office and served as the Sheriff of San Diego County from 1929 to 1935. Bills’ father also served on the Sheriff’s Office and as the commander of the East County substations as a Lieutenant in the 1960s.

Bill served on the San Diego Police Department and served in many units including Vice, Robbery and Western Investigations, retiring as a Sergeant in 1992 after 32 years of service  

Bill loved to fish and won the biggest fish of the day five times in a row while fishing in Alaska. He loved to travel in our RV and saw much of the country, including Canada. He enjoyed playing the horses and could name every horse and jockey known. He loved baseball as well. He was very private, frugal and had a great sense of humor.

Bill is survived by his wife, Margaret; step-sons Doug, Randy, their families, and his sister, Judy. He was predeceased by his daughter, Teri. Private services only.

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