William M. Fleming Jr.

1924 - 2019

The Honorable William Marvin Fleming, Jr. departed life on Saturday, March 30, 2019. Judge Fleming was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on October 20, 1924. He soon moved to Augusta at age six. Soon after graduating from the Academy of Richmond County, he was drafted into the Army Air Corp in 1943. He served on active duty from 1943-46 and then in the reserves until 1949. He reached the rank of Second Lieutenant. Following his military discharge, he played semi-professional baseball in the Augusta area.

Prior to enrolling in law school, Judge Fleming attended both Augusta Junior College and Norwich College in Vermont. While attending law school at the University of Georgia, Judge Fleming was a member of the Honor Court and received his law degree from the 1949. Judge Fleming returned to Augusta and practiced law as a sole practitioner. In 1950, he joined with George Nicholson to form the firm Nicholson and Fleming.

Judge Fleming served as a Representative in the Georgia General Assembly from 1959-1964 and from 1966-1968. He served on numerous committees while in the legislature and was instrumental in gaining significant funding to expand the dental college at Medical College of Georgia. Judge Fleming was then appointed as a Superior Court Judge by Governor Lester Maddox in 1968.

Judge Fleming served as the Chief Judge of the Augusta Judicial Circuit from 1972 until his retirement in 2007. He is the second longest serving full time superior court judge in the history of the state. He continued to serve a senior judge until 2017. He served on numerous judicial committees in the area and state wide.

Judge Fleming was a member of St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, where he served as a parish council president.

He was predeceased in life by his wife, Marilyn "Peachie" Meehan Fleming. A devoted couple, they were married for 52 years before her death in 2017.

Family members include his sons: William Meehan Fleming (wife, Nadya) and Brendan Neville Fleming (wife, Sherry); grandchildren: William J.H. Fleming, Katherine A. Fleming, Joseph R. Fleming, and Brendan N. Fleming, Jr.; and brother: John Fleming.

The family especially thanks Marie Marcellus for her devoted care.

The funeral Mass will be held Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 11:00 A.M. at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church with Fr. Michael Hull celebrant. The burial will follow in Westover Memorial Park.

The Superior Court, State Court, and Civil and Magistrate Court will serve an honorary pall bearers.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lynndale, Inc., 1490 Eisenhower Drive, Augusta, GA 30904. Lynndale is a charity for special needs children.

A rosary service will be Wednesday evening at 6:00 P.M. and the family will receive friends following the service from 6:30 until 8:00 P.M. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at www.thomaspoteet.com