Ezekiel Lambert

Family-Placed Death Notice

LAMBERT, Ezekiel EZEKIEL ROY LAMBERT June 18, 1925 - February 22, 2008 Roy Lambert lived in the house on North Main Street in Madison where he was born. With the exception of service in the United States Navy during World War II (1942-1946), and while he was getting a college education, his life was centered in Madison and Morgan County. He graduated from the University of Georgia, where he earned both a business degree (1947) and a law degree (1950), and was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and Phi Delta Theta Social Fraternity, Lambert passed the Bar in 1950 and hung his shingle in Madison. Soon after starting his practice, he met Christine Davis. In May, 1954 they married, and in 2004 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have three children, Leigh Lambert Goff, of Atlanta, Anne Lambert Trulock, of Madison, and Ezekiel Roy Lambert, III, of Madison. He won a close race and served in the Georgia Senate from 1955-1956. He was encouraged to run in 1963 for the State House of Representatives. He won the election and held that seat until retiring from active politics in 1985. Roy earned several appointments during his political career such as Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the Industry Committee, and eight years as Governor Busbee's Floor Leader. Roy retired from politics when the Board of Directors of the Bank of Madison asked him to be President. He served as President of the Bank of Madison for many years, and was recently serving as Vice-Chairman of the bank's Board of Directors. Roy was senior partner of Lambert, Reitman and Abney, LLC, the firm he started in September, 1950. He was a member of Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Bar Association (President, 1968-1969); American Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. He was admitted to practice in the Georgia Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, and United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia and Northern District of Georgia. Roy was very active in his community. He was a member of Madison First United Methodist Church, served as Vice-President of Economic Development for the Madison-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, Past President of the Madison Kiwanis Club, member of the American Legion and VFW, Past President of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, and member of Gridiron Society. Other honors include being named the first "Business Legend" by the Madison-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, The Chief Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service, Georgia Legislative Service Award from the Georgia Municipal Association, Distinctive Service Award for serving on the Board of Visitors of University of Georgia, Chairman of the Judicial Compensation Commission of the State Bar of Georgia, Conservation Service Award from Georgia Ducks Unlimited, and 2005 Commendation from Governor Sonny Purdue. In addition to his wife and children he is survived by four grandchildren, Christine, Mary Helen, and Sutton Trulock of Madison and Will Goff of Atlanta. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Madison Morgan Cultural Center, Morgan Memorial Hospital, or the First United Methodist Church building fund.