Members of the judicial community are mourning the loss of one of their own after the unexpected and untimely death of Appalachian Judicial Circuit Superior Court John Worcester August 17.
The memories they speak of do not come as much from his service on the bench, but as someone who cared deeply about people, someone they called a friend.
Blue Ridge attorney Lynn Doss said Worcester’s passing was, “A tragic loss, certainly on the judicial side, but more importantly on the community side. He was a good, good human. He truly cared.”
Doss shared what she called her “favorite John memory” that came from a dress rehearsal for the Fannin County High School Mock Trial team.
One of the young men competing did not have a tie and complimented Judge Worcester on his, which was a bow tie.
The judge “very wittily suggested that the character most likely would have worn a bow tie and proceeded to remove his, gift it to the student and proceeded to teach him how to properly tie a bow tie!”
Fannin County Chief Magistrate Judge Brian Jones, who worked with Judge Worcester for seven years, described him as, “A friend that everybody would’ve liked to have had for a friend.”
Jones said if you were in the room with the judge for five minutes he was your friend, and if you were with him for 30 minutes he was family. That’s how much he cared about people.
“He loved his job so much, it was his family,” Jones said.
Danette Davis, chief Magistrate Court clerk, said even though he was a judge that Judge Worcester was “the least judgmental person in the world.”
Jones agreed, saying in all the time he knew Judge Worcester, “I never heard him speak ill of anyone.”
“I believe that John has the ability to see the best in those people that came before him,” B. Alison Sosebee said.
Sosebee, who serves as the district attorney for the Appalachian Circuit, said, “He also had a true passion to help the young people in our community. His passing is a great loss for our area. He was much loved, much respected and will be greatly missed.”
She described his time as a judge as “faithfully” serving the people of Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens counties.
Chief Superior Court Judge Brenda Weaver and Superior Court Judge Mary E. Priest issued a join statement praising their departed colleague.
“His legacy of compassion, fairness and friendship has left a mark on our circuit that will not be forgotten,” they said.
The judges also said, “We join the legal community in mourning the passing of our friend and colleague on the bench. He served our community in numerous ways, as a Superior Court Judge, Chief Juvenile Court Judge, fierce Accountability Court advocate, on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and many more.”
Judge Worcester was over many of the circuit accountability courts. Davis remembered how “he really cared about” the people in those courts.
Despite the rigors of a Superior Court judgeship, Jones added, “I never saw him in a bad mood.”
Judge Worcester was appointed to his Superior Court judgeship April 19, 2016, by former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. When he was appointed he was the Chief Juvenile Judge for the Appalachian Judicial Circuit.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University, a master’s degree from Troy University, and his law degree from the Atlanta Law School.
After graduation from law school, he joined the Law Offices of Edwin Marger in Jasper. He later joined the Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office where he handled child support matters as an assistant district attorney.
He was named Judge of the Year by the National Court Appointed Special Advocates in 2017.
Despite all his accolades, achievements and service to the community, it was probably Judge Jones who summed up how many will remember Judge Worcester when he said, “He was my friend.”