Judge Frank S. Cheatham Jr.

Judge Frank S. Cheatham, Jr. - SAVANNAH - Judge Frank S. Cheatham, Jr., died Wednesday, March 26, 2008. He was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret Caldwell Cheatham and Frank S. Cheatham, Sr. He was born in Savannah on January 11, 1924, and graduated from Savannah High School in June 1942, Armstrong Junior College in June 1944, and the University of Georgia in June 1948, where he obtained an undergraduate A.B. degree and a graduate LLB law degree. He was president of the freshman and sophomore classes at Armstrong and the senior class of 1946, at the University of Georgia. He was a member of the varsity debate team and various leadership societies and clubs at Georgia as well as Sigma Alpha Epsilon social fraternity. A lawyer by profession he became involved in several areas of public service that have provided major benefits to the community and the state. He was elected to the state legislature in 1953, as a candidate of the Citizens Committee, a reform political party, and had a leading role in the passing of a charter converting Savannah to the more efficient Council-Manager form of government. Within two years the city went from near bankruptcy to the well run solvent government today. While in the legislature, he chaired a study committee that resulted in the Board of Regents reversing its policy against junior colleges which resulted immediately in Armstrong, Augusta and Columbus Junior Colleges being admitted to the University System. Today there are fourteen community junior colleges in Georgia plus six former junior colleges that have been elevated to four year universities including Armstrong. While in the legislature he led a successful effort to remove fifty million dollars from the appropriations bill which the governor had planned to use for political purposes. He was also chairman of the Appropriations Committee during his last two years in the legislature. After his legislative career he became heavily involved in the Savannah YMCA. He was president in the 1960s, when the South was changing from a segregated to an integrated society. He led the board of directors in taking a major step forward when they closed an all male white Y in an antiquated 1912 building and constructed and integrated family Y in a new state of the art building on Habersham Street, which was the forerunner of the Y's presently operating in Chatham and surrounding counties. After practicing law for twenty-four years in associations and partnerships with Luhr Beckmann, Mallie Exley, Joseph Bergen, Charles Sparkman and Douglas, McWhorter and Adams, he was appointed on March 31, 1972, by recently elected governor Jimmy Carter, to fill a vacancy on the Chatham County Superior Court, although he had supported the Governor's opponent, Carl Sanders, a law school classmate. After serving twenty-one years he retired as Chief Judge to Senior Status on August 31, 1993. He resigned from Senior Status on May 2, 2006. In 1971, he was selected by the state Jaycees as The Most Outstanding Young Man In Georgia. He was past president of the Kiwanis Club, The German Heritage Society, The Savannah Bar Association, The Council of Superior Judges of Georgia and an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Savannah. The Savannah Bar Association in 2005, named the Professionalism Award, its most prestigious award, after him. He was a lifetime member of Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church and a member of the Fellowship Sunday School Class. He is survived by his beloved wife of 31 years, Rebecca Aultman Cheatham, a daughter, Margaret Cheatham Hubbard and husband Carter, Jr., a daughter, Lara Brotherton of London, England, a grandson, Alfie Brotherton of London, and first cousins, Sidney Cheatham of Barnesville GA, Ralph Cheatham of Coral Gables, FL, Robert Caldwell of Richmond Hill, GA, Leilou Caldwell Brady of West Palm Beach, FL, Charles Caldwell of Flat Rock, NC, and James Caldwell of Cordele, GA. Active Pallbearers will be Albert Lufburrow, George Oelschig, Edwin Culver, Dr. Charles Harris, Howard Morrison and Barron Crawford. Honorary Pallbearers will be Ashley Dearing, Dr. Julian Quattlebaum, Stanley Harris, Chatham County Judges, Federal District Court Judges and Members of the Savannah Bar Association. Visitation will be Friday, March 28, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Fox and Weeks Funeral Directors Hodgson Chapel. Funeral Services will be Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 11 a.m. at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Greenwich Section of Bonaventure. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be sent to Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church or Wesley Gardens at Wesley, 429 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Ga. 31401 or the Pulmonary Fund at St. Joseph's/Candler Foundations, 5353 Reynolds Street, Savannah, Ga. 31405. The Family would like give a special thanks to Dr. James Daly, Dr. Judith Porter, Dr. Ken Griffin, Dr. Robert Rollings and the nurses on the ICU and the Pulmonary Care Unit, especially Paula, for their loving and professional care he received. Please sign our guestbook on-line at www.foxandweeks.com Savannah Morning News March 27, 2008 Please sign our Obituary Guest Book at savannahnow.com/obituaries .