Robert Dorsey Widener
Agency patch
Captain

Robert Dorsey Widener

Veteran → Accident
End of Watch May 16, 1989
Age 59
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
The Vigil Panel 134 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Captain Widener was killed when his patrol car was struck by a tractor-trailer that ran a red light at the intersection of Ashley Road and West Boulevard. He was returning to the sheriff's office after re-qualifying at the agency's firing range. Captain Widener had served with the agency for 14 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-AL-4963B96F
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Robert is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Captain Widener gave the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Montgomery community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Widener.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Montgomery, Montgomery County, AL
Platform Identity mcso.montgomery.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 16, 1989
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
Age 59
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Robert Dorsey Widener served in the U.S. Air Force (1948–1974) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Captain Robert Dorsey Widener is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In AL, 182 of 643 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.3% of this state's fallen. That is 28.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
2
of 2 officers
100% Accident
AL — Statewide
182
of 643 officers
28.3% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert Dorsey Widener's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Robert Dorsey Widener Compares

Age at Death
59
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
14
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Dorsey Widener is highlighted in May.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Military Service

Robert Dorsey Widener served in the U.S. Air Force (1948–1974) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Robert Dorsey Widener’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

1 officer from Montgomery County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.