[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 146 (Thursday, November 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE GLEN WILLIAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. H. MORGAN GRIFFITH

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2012

  Mr. GRIFFITH of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I, along with Representatives 
Bob Goodlatte and Robert Hurt, honor U.S. District Judge Glen Williams, 
a devoted public servant to the Commonwealth of Virginia, who passed 
away on November 4, 2012.
  Born in Jonesville, Virginia, Judge Williams spent his childhood in 
his father's grocery store listening to stories of coal miners and 
farmers from across the region. It was these stories which helped 
instill Judge Williams with an understanding about the lives of 
everyday people. Undoubtedly, he maintained this foundation throughout 
his life and career.
  Judge Williams courageously put his college education on hold when we 
were attacked at Pearl Harbor. The day after that horrible event, he 
joined the U.S. Navy. He served in the Atlantic, Pacific, and 
Mediterranean theaters as well as in the Allied invasion of southern 
France during WWII. After the war, he went back to school and received 
his bachelor's degree from Milligan College, and in 1948 received his 
law degree from the University of Virginia's School of Law.
  Above all else, Judge Williams was dedicated to his work. He was a 
Commonwealth's Attorney for Lee County, Virginia, and later served as a 
Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District 
of Virginia from 1963 until 1975. In 1976, he was nominated by 
President Gerald Ford to serve as a federal judge for the United States 
District Court for the Western District of Virginia, where he served 
until 2010. He also served as a member of the Virginia State Senate 
from 1953-1955.
  Judge Williams had a tremendous impact on our communities--in the 
Ninth District, the Sixth District, and the Fifth District--as well as 
upon countless individuals all across the region. Judge Williams was a 
man we all greatly respected, a courageous public servant, and an 
honorable defender of the rule of law. May his spirit of strength and 
resilience continue with us. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy 
and influence will be long remembered across the entire western region 
of Virginia.
  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Judge Williams' wife, Jane; his 
four daughters, Susan, Judith, Rebecca, and Melinda; his family, 
friends, and many loved ones. May God give them comfort during this 
difficult time.

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