As Manatee County Habitat for Humanity celebrates its 30th anniversary, we honor the visionaries and volunteers who laid the foundation—quite literally—for decades of impact. Among those pioneers is Roy Williams, a retired mechanical engineer who traded retirement by the pool for rooftops, toolbelts, and trusses. His story is emblematic of the heart, grit, and generosity that fueled our earliest builds and helped transform a fledgling nonprofit into a lasting force for good in our community.
Thirty years ago, Roy Williams retired to Bradenton, but instead of settling into a quiet life, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Having previously volunteered with Habitat in Texas, Roy wasted no time applying his engineering skills to the construction of trusses for the very first homes built by the newly-formed Manatee County Habitat for Humanity.
In those formative days, Roy joined forces with a group of dedicated local leaders—John Davidson, Susie Walters, Steve Roskamp, and Curtis Hamlin—who were all-in on Habitat’s mission. “We worked every Saturday,” Roy recalls, “and soon realized we had to meet on Tuesdays too—just to prep, get materials, and make sure volunteers were used efficiently.”
The team took over construction of several homes initially started by the more established Sarasota affiliate. “We looked at them with a little envy,” Roy admits, “They had big sponsors and large tracts of land. But we worked hard and got Tropicana to sponsor a house—and even had some of their employees join us on site.”
As homes rose from the ground, so did the need for land, donors, and infrastructure. Roy remembers Harry Baaker, a devoted supporter who pitched in with both funds and tools—and even offered up closet space in his building to serve as Habitat’s first “office.” That $5,000 here and $5,000 there eventually helped construct the group’s first warehouse.
That Palmetto warehouse originally stored excess building materials, but the stash grew so large the team decided to sell off some of the surplus. “We advertised, and contractors and homeowners showed up in droves,” Roy says. That successful sale was the seed that later grew into Manatee Habitat’s ReStore.
Like any young organization, Habitat faced challenges. “We built just one house the first year,” Roy remembers, “and the designs were tricky—28-foot-wide structures with angled doorways and tricky trusses. After a few tries, we simplified the blueprint, reducing costs and making construction more volunteer-friendly.” Then came Hurricane Andrew, and with it, new building codes that demanded structural redesigns and even dictated how many nails to use.
Over his 15 years with Manatee Habitat, Roy estimates he worked on around 90 homes. “There was a small group of us—Jack Williams, Chuck Peabody, Gary Taylor—and we each had our specialties. Donna Davenport stepped in to help homeowners understand their responsibilities, and that became vital to the success of the program.”
For Roy, there was particular joy in figuring out the trusses. “Every house should have a covered entry—that was my thing. Designing that into a simple rectangular structure made the truss work more complex and interesting.” One of his favorite projects? Building the gazebo at our Village of the Palms community.
Though he stepped away from building in 2005, Roy still proudly wears his Habitat hat, signed by Habitat founder Millard Fuller. From his home in Freedom Village, he can now drive past dozens of homes that carry the imprint of his skill, sweat, and service—a lasting legacy of what community, commitment, and compassion can build.
Thank you, Roy, for your unwavering dedication, craftsmanship, and heart. Your early leadership and countless hours on the build site helped shape the foundation—both literal and figurative—of Manatee Habitat. As we celebrate 30 years of building homes, communities, and hope, we are deeply grateful for pioneers like you who made it all possible.