Sunday, June 11, 2023, at approximately 10:25 p.m., the Hamilton County community lost an amazing man with a heart larger than the entire county. Chief “Tony” Rickerson flew into heaven’s arms after he passed away in a single-vehicle crash near his home off 143 South in Jasper, Florida. He left behind his wife, Sheena Rickerson, (Momma Bear), and three young children, Annalee (Stinky), Wyatt (Bubba), and Wade (Way-Way); along with his “guys” at the Jasper Police Department, as well as his Hamilton County law enforcement brothers. He was proceeded in death by his father, Pedro Rickerson. Surviving Tony is his wife, Sheena Holland Rickerson, his three children; Annalee, Wyatt, and Wade; his mother-in-law, Rita Holland, his father-in-law, Robert Holland; his mother, Chris Rickerson (Hayes); his sister, Tammy Andrews (Preston); his nieces, Aubrey Andrews and Allison Andrews, his brother in law, Joshua Holland (Paige, and their daughter, Emory), Jordan Holland (Stephanie, and their children Jace and Hadley); his cousin, Josh Fillyaw, and many close friends who were brothers to him, Johnathon Carnley (Ragan), Benji Burnham, Carey Carmichael, Jeff McGuire (Becky), Derek Holton (Hannah), Jack Andrews (Cary), as well as many other cousins.
Tony was born and raised in Live Oak, Fla,. until later in his high school years when he moved to Jasper with his parents. He graduated from Suwannee High School in 1998 and went to work in the electric trade, working over the road with Pike and Mastec electric companies. He returned home to Jasper to be with his parents when his father fell ill and began working at Hamilton Correctional Institute. After almost a year, he went into the crossover program to become a law enforcement officer and first began working part-time at the Jennings Police Department. He later obtained full-time employment with the Jasper Police Department where he remained faithfully for 13 years, working up the ranks from Sergeant to Chief and then eventually becoming the interim Chief in August of 2021. Tony was unanimously appointed as the permanent Chief in September of 2022.
Tony and Sheena met during criminal depositions at the Hamilton County Courthouse where at the time, she was a misdemeanor prosecutor assigned to Hamilton County out of the Third Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. At the time, Tony was a patrol officer. They began a relationship, later married on July 15, 2016, at the Courthouse while Tony was on duty, and then had their first child. Tony and Sheena celebrated their wedding on Nov 4, 2017. They later went on to have two sons and built a home off of 6 East and 143 South in Jasper. Sheena left the State Attorney’s Office and opened a private law practice in downtown Jasper in 2020. Tony and Sheena were a month and a few days shy of being married seven years at the time of his death.
Tony loved the outdoors. Almost daily you would find him outside riding on the side-by-side with Sheena and the kids. He loved to fish and passed along that love of fishing to his children. His favorite place was on his boat and on the water with his family. Tony enjoyed hunting but would be the first to admit that Sheena was far better at it than he could ever be. He loved camping, and he and his family were frequently found at the springs. You would never see a bigger smile on his face than when he was at a campsite cooking breakfast for his family outside on a flattop grill.
Tony was known for his overwhelming love, commitment, and dedication to his wife, and his hands-on approach to raising their three children. He truly believed in the family being first. Tony’s reputation as a police officer in the community is one of being fair, compassionate, and kind. Tony embodied everything public service should be as he truly had a servant’s heart. He dedicated his life to public service, loved being a police officer, and loved all of his law enforcement family. Tony was an example of being unapologetically unselfish. He always put himself last and would help anyone, often at great expense to himself.
The loss of Tony Rickerson will leave a void that will never be filled in the Hamilton County community and in the heart of his wife and children.
A celebration of Chief Rickerson's life was held at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at the Hamilton County Courthouse Annex (old high School). Chief Rickerson was laid to rest at Burnham Church Cemetery near Jennings.
Tony's family will receive friends between the hours of 5-8 p.m. on Monday, June 19th at the Hamilton County Courthouse Annex.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Jasper Police Department to benefit his department and his officers, which ultimately supports and contributes to the City of Jasper as well as the Hamilton County Community. All donations can be made to the Chief Tony Rickerson Memorial Fund through Cash App at $RickersonMemorial. Funding will be donated directly to the Department by his wife, and to additionally provide a scholarship for future law enforcement officers wishing to attend the academy. Chief Rickerson loved his community, his department, and mentoring young law enforcement officers.