Paul Wohlford

Paul R. Wohlford BRISTOL, Tenn. Paul R. Wohlford, 69, judge of the juvenile court for City of Bristol, Tennes see since 1980, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010, at Bristol Regional Medical Center. He was born Sunday, June 23, 1940, in Kingsport, Tenn., to the late Paul R. and Theresa McLellan Wohlford. He earned his B.A. Degree from Duke University in 1962 and his J.D. Degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1964. He entered the practice of law in Bristol Tennessee in 1965. During 1979 and 1980, he served as special judge for the City of Bristol, Tennessee Juvenile Court. He had also served as of the Bristol Tennessee Bar Association; president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; chairman of the Sullivan County Committee on Health, Education & Housing; and was approved by the Supreme Court as a Rule 31 mediator. Professionally, Judge Wohlford was a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and the Bristol Tennessee Bar Association; the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth; the Board of Governors of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association; the faculty of the National Coalition of State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group; the Board of Trustees of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; the Faculty of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; the Court Futures Committee; the Judicial Education Committee, the Victims Act Resource Guidelines Committee; the Tennessee Bar Association Committee on Impaired Lawyers; the Tennessee Governor's Select Steering Committee on Education; the Faculty of the Tennessee Judicial Academy and Instructor in the Paralegal Program at Virginia Intermont College. On a personal level, the Judge had served as president of the Bristol Family YMCA; trustee of the Bristol Family YMCA Endowment Fund; past president of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association, Bristol Chapter; and member of the Bristol Regional Medical Center Ethics Committee. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Bristol Virginia; the Bristol Downtown Optimist Club the Duke University Iron Dukes Alumni and the Board of Directors of Citizens Bank of Elizabethton. He had been awarded the National Catholic Education Association's Distinguished Graduate Award and the Elizabeth McCain Award as Outstanding Juvenile Judge in Tennessee. He is survived by his wife, Donna R. Wohlford; sons, Paul R. Wohlford III and his wife Ann of Panama City Beach, Fla., and Jonathan E. Roberts of Bristol Tennessee; grandchildren, Paul R. Wohlford IV, Alexandra Elizabeth Wohlford and Bethany Ann Wohlford; sister-in-law, Sylvia W. Stone and husband, Michael D. of Lexington, Tenn.; cousins, Sherry Weaver, Judge John S. McLellan and his wife Wanda, and Toni Cave and her husband Herschel, all of Kingsport, Tenn. The funeral service will be held at 11 o'clock Saturday morning, Jan. 16, 2010, at First Baptist Church in Bristol Virginia, with Dr. David Stancil officiating. The family will receive friends following the service. A private committal service will be held in Kingsport, Tenn. at a later time. The family would like to extend their gratitude to Dr. David Thompson and his staff. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Children's Advocacy Center of Sullivan County, P.O. Box 867, Blountville, TN 37617; C.A.S.A. for Kids, 516 Holston Ave., Bristol, TN 37620; or to a favorite charity. Condolences and memories may be sent to the family and viewed at www.Oakley-Cook.com Judge Wohlford and his family are in the care of Oakley-Cook Funeral Home.