A veteran of 40 years in law Georgia enforcement died Tuesday, April 14, 2026 after an extended illness.

J. Frank Waits, 70, of Kingsland passed away at the Southeast Georgia Health System Hospital in Brunswick.

Frank was born in Duluth on July 3, 1955 and was preceded in death by his parents, Robert "Bobby" Calvin Waits, Sr. and Fay Waits Lynch, and his brother, Robert "Calvin" Waits, Jr.

He is survived by Pam Henderson Waits, his wife of 39 years, and three sisters:  Neva and her husband, Jim Herschell of Moultrie; Barbara and her husband, Otis Raybon of Rome; and Jan Waits of Sugar Hill.  He was blessed with a wonderful niece, Brittany Waits of Dunwoody; nephews Jonathan Herschell and his wife, Amie, of Hartwell; Tilman Raybon and his wife, Sarah of Dunwoody; and 'Baby Will' William Raybon and his wife, Courtney, of Prospect, KY.  He was a dedicated lover of animals and leaves behind his beloved fur babies Jack Jack and Emma Grace to comfort Pam.

Frank began his career in law enforcement in the Atlanta area in 1979 where he spent nearly a decade before accepting a position with the Griffin Police Department.  Griffin inspired him to become the man that would impact the rest of his life. He served there until 2001 when he was named Chief of Police in Kingsland.  In 2005, Frank and Pam moved to Vidalia where he assumed the job of Police Chief and led the Vidalia Police Department until his retirement in May, 2019. He earned his Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Mercer University in 1994 and later a Masters Degree in Total Quality Management from Mercer. While in Vidalia, Frank had the unprecedented honor of being elected twice as President of the Georgia Police Officers Association.  He was an adjunct professor at Mercer University and taught at the Georgia Police Academy at Forsyth as well as other professional development programs in Clayton County, Columbus State, Kennesaw State and the Atlanta area. Perhaps one of his most important accomplishments was obtaining State of Georgia certification for the Vidalia Police Department.  The hard work of bringing the department up to standards not only improved the quality of service provided by officers but it made the department eligible for many state and federal programs which helped provide resources for community police work. He sought to train his officers to be knowledgeable and professional and created community outreach programs in Vidalia to help citizens understand law enforcement from a policeman's point of view and also instituted small arms training for women in the community.  He led the effort to create a Vidalia Police Department Firing Range which became a training asset for not only Vidalia officers, but also for other area law enforcement agencies.  Frank also instituted the "R-U-OK" program whereby police dispatchers checked daily on senior citizens who lived alone.  Many seniors who had fallen and couldn't get to a phone were assisted by VPD officers sent to their homes when there was no response to the daily check-in calls by the Vidalia Police Department.

An officer during Frank's tenure remembers, "His arrival brought positive changes to the department which benefited the community.  For example, he increased our shifts from four to six officers to give better coverage. He was understanding and morale improved. He was the best boss."

Another officer said He didn't just watch my career grow; he watched me grow as a man. He saw me build my family, and I'll never forget him being there the day I proposed to my wife. Those moments mean more to me than I can ever fully express. Some of the best conversations and life lessons I've ever had happened on the "Front Porch" of the Vidalia Police Department with Chief Waits. Those talks shaped me in ways that still guide me today. I'm forever grateful to have had him as my first Chief. He helped set the foundation of my career and made a lasting impact on my life. Love you, Chief. You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.

Frank enjoyed being active in the community and when off-duty was an avid golfer.  He fully understood the mental aspects of the game and when a few bucks were on the line, he was known to tell competitors in his foursome, just before they took their putter back on a key putt, to "Hit It Close!"  And, all too often, they did just that, thanks to Frank's psychological seed-planting. The chief had a love of animals and each Christmas invited citizens to bring their pets to the police department where they could have their pictures made with Santa Claus. He gladly donned the Santa Claus beard and suit for the sessions which were dubbed "Santa Paws!"

Memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Shelter of your choice.

A Celebration of Frank's Life will be held in Griffin at Conner Westbury Funeral Home Chapel, Saturday April 25th at 2pm

Allison Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.