Henry Haskins served as Monroe County sheriff from 1963 to 1965
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Posted - Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:59 AM EDT
Henry Haskins, who died Tuesday, was a former Keys sheriff.
Henry Haskins, a former Monroe County sheriff, died Aug. 18, 2009, at age 73.
He served as sheriff from 1963 to 1965. He had also chaired the Key West Housing Authority but stepped down from that position earlier this year when he was diagnosed with Creuzfeldt-Jakobs Disease.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1955 and received his honorable discharge in 1961. He began his career with the Sheriff's Office in October 1957 as sergeant of the Civil Division.
In 1963, the governor appointed him sheriff, becoming the youngest sheriff in Florida and the third youngest in the country. When appointed, he developed the first Junior Deputy League in the state.
He remained with the Sheriff's Office until 1967. He then became harbormaster of Key West for two terms. He was also appointed to the City Electric System (now Keys Energy Services) board in November 1965.
He was appointed to the Housing Authority board and served on it for 35 years. He was the inspiration behind the construction of the Senior Citizens Plaza, which now bears his name; the Eastwind Apartments in Marathon; Newport Village in Key Largo; and numerous other low-income housing communities throughout Monroe County.
He was a lifelong parishioner of St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church.
