Everette Doffermyre

DOFFERMYRE, Jr., Everette Lassiter

Everette Lassiter Doffermyre Jr., known during his childhood and again later in his life by his grandchildren as "Bubba," died peacefully in his sleep on January 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. Everette was born on November 17, 1948, in the small town of Dunn, North Carolina, one of three children raised by Everette Lassiter Doffermyre Sr. and Mary Lide (Johnson) Doffermyre. Bubba's classic small-town childhood included many rarely-reported shenanigans with his older brother Randy, his little sister Meda Lide, and their countless cousins around town. One youthful episode ended with Bubba getting all of his teeth kicked out by a horse at a barn near his home in Dunn when he was six years old and being pronounced dead on the scene by his older brother Randy. Fortunately, the reports of Bubba's death at that time were greatly exaggerated.

Bubba decided to expand his small-town horizons after middle school, heading north to attend Staunton Military Academy ("SMA"), a boarding school in Staunton, Virginia, where he ranked number one in his class in every academic and military category. As valedictorian, recipient of the Legion of Honor Medal, and serving as First Captain and Brigade General of the academy, Bubba was—by many accounts—the most highly decorated cadet in Staunton Military Academy school history. Although these reports have not been verified, the claim is corroborated by the fact that the Staunton local newspaper ran a front-page story about SMA's graduation ceremonies Bubba's senior year with a headline that simply stated: "SMA Honors Heaped on Cadet Col. Doffermyre."

Following graduation, Everette attended the University of Virginia where he began his transition away from the name "Bubba," affectionally becoming known as "Doff" by his close friends and fraternity brothers in St. Anthony's Hall. Doff was a "Hallie" through and through. According to the University yearbook, Doff was also a ROTC cadet, a football cheerleader, and a member of UVa's snow-skiing team, but he hardly mentioned those activities later in life. To hear him tell it, the small-town fraternity boy rarely attended class, spending nearly all his time each semester socializing with his fraternity brothers on Rugby Road or on horse farms in the Charlottesville countryside. According to his fraternity brothers, Doff would disappear in the days leading up to exams to study around the clock, more than making up for all the time he missed skipping class. To be sure, the truth of Everette's class attendance record remains unknown, but—one way or another—Everette graduated Phi Beta Kappa with high honors from the college in 1970 and received a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1973.

Following law school, Everette moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he joined the Kilpatrick law firm as a corporate litigator and met the love of his life, Mary Brownlow Dorminy, who he married in Columbia, Tennessee on April 26, 1975. Upon falling in love with Everette, Mary quickly instituted a strict prohibition against anyone calling her new husband "Bubba." Everette ("Don't call him Bubba!") spent a decade and a half as a litigator at the Kilpatrick firm, and then set out to found his own law firm in 1987. Everette served for over thirty years as the Managing Parter of the firm he founded, Doffermyre, Shields, Canfield & Knowles, which was widely regarded as one of the preeminent litigation boutiques in the country. Everette was repeatedly selected for legal honors such as "100 Best Lawyers in Georgia," "Best Lawyers in America," "Georgia Superlawyer," and one of Atlanta's "Litigation Stars." In 2009, Chambers USA noted that "Mr. Doffermyre is held in extremely high regard for his determined manner and his strong advocacy work."

Outside of his legal practice, Everette served in leadership roles for numerous charitable causes, serving as a trustee of various charities—including the National Childhood Cancer Foundation, Episcopal Media Center, Crossroad Community Ministries, and Georgia State Golf Foundation. He was a proud member of Leadership Atlanta and loved serving on the Junior Championship Committee of the United States Golf Association. Everette and Mary were active members of numerous social and golf clubs over the years, including the Piedmont Driving Club, Capital City Club, Farmington Country Club, Pablo Creek Golf Club, Gulfstream Club, Everglades Club, Bath & Tennis Club, and the Nine O'Clocks.

Everette's greatest charitable passion was supporting the University of Virginia. He served the University in virtually every way possible throughout his life, including as the President of the University's Alumni Association, the Chairman of the Board of Managers, the Chairman of the National Committee on University Resources, a trustee of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, and a member of the College Foundation Board of Trustees. In 2004, Everette was tapped to serve as Campaign Executive Committee member and Co-Chairman of the University's $3 billion capital campaign, which at the time was the largest and most ambitious University capital campaign in the history of the country. In 2014, in recognition of his lifetime dedication to the University, Everette was the recipient of the esteemed Raven Award from the Raven Society, the oldest and most prestigious honorary society at the University of Virginia.

Everette's love and support for the University of Virginia was only surpassed by his love and support of his family. Everette was a loyal husband to Mary; and very proud father of their three children: Julia Doffermyre Green of Atlanta, William Lassiter Doffermyre of Dallas, and Everette Randolph Doffermyre of Jackson Hole. Perhaps not surprisingly, all three of Everette's children attended the University of Virginia, and it was a privilege of a lifetime for them to watch their father speak at Julia's college graduation ceremony in May of 2000, alongside tens of thousands of fellow Wahoos watching Everette's commencement address in the shadows of Mr. Jefferson's historic academic village. Everette absolutely adored his son and daughters-in-law: Eli Green, Bessie Liedtke Doffermyre and Kathleen Belk Doffermyre. Until the day he died, he loved each of them like they were his own children and could not have been more proud to call them members of his family.

One of the greatest joys of Everette's life was becoming a grandfather to eight precious grandchildren: William and Mary Parrish Green, William, Perry, Wynne and Hodges Doffermyre, and James and Kate Doffermyre—who succeeded in bringing the small-town cadet from Dunn full circle like no one else could: They renamed their grandfather "Bubba" once again. He will be remembered fondly as "Bubba" in his grandchildren's hearts and minds forever.

Whether you called him Everette or Bubba or Doff, everyone who knew Everette L. Doffermyre Jr. knew him to be a gentleman with a sharp intellect, a huge heart and a deep faith. He was a leader. He was a man of principal. He was a loyal husband, father and grandfather. He was a loving friend and humble mentor to many. He was an avid golfer, skier and fly-fisherman. He was a Wahoo. He was a Hallie. He was a man of great integrity. He was a class act. Above all else, those who knew Everette L. Doffermyre Jr. knew what really made him tick: Everette absolutely loved to help others. And he never wore socks. He will be missed dearly.

A Memorial Service celebrating Everette's life will be held at 2 PM, on Wednesday January 31, 2024, at the Cathedral of St. Phillip, 2744 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA 30305. For those wishing to do so, contributions in memory of Everette may be made to the University of Virginia; or to any charity the donor chooses.