By Joe Johnson
A retired longtime Madison County sheriff has died.
“Today at 9:20 a.m. retired Madison County Sheriff Jack Fortson died peacefully at his home in Madison County,” Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry posted on his agency's Facebook page Tuesday afternoon.
“Jack Darrell was a classmate of mine in the 31st Session of the Northeast Georgia Police Academy. He was our class president and a fine man, an excellent Sheriff and my friend,” Berry’s [post stated.
Jack Darrell Fortson served as Madison County’s sheriff for more than two decades, from 1973 to 1996, according to his LinkedIn page.
He also served two years as a deputy with the Clarke County Sheriff's Department, was an assistant chief of the Colbert Volunteer Fire Department. a Madison County commissioner, a Colbert city councilman, and served as president of the county's Little League.
The LinkedIn page indicated that the 1950 graduate of Colbert High School was a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.
In 2016, he was honored by his county by having the road in Danielsville leading to the sheriff’s office renamed Jack Darrell Fortson Road.
Funeral arrangements had yet to be announced.