Memorials, 1115 ALBJ, 76 The Alabama Lawyer 400 (2015)
| Author | Wade Hampton Baxley, Beall Dozier Gary, Jr. Solomon S. Seay, Jr. |
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\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Wade Hampton Baxley
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Wade Hampton Baxley, 71, died March 5. He is survived by his sons, Hamp (Emily) and Keener (Mary Katharine), four grandchildren, Mallory, Payne, Hampton and Mary Frances, and his brother, Bill (Marie). He was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Joan Morris Baxley.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Wade will be remembered for his warmth, his wit and his commitment to service. He was born in Dothan on November 1, 1943, the son of Judge Keener Baxley and Lemma Rountree Baxley. He graduated from Dothan High School in 1961, the University of Alabama in 1965 and the University of Alabama School of Law in 1968. While in college, he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Upon his admission to the bar, he clerked for Judge Aubrey M. Cates, Jr. of the Alabama Court of Appeals for a year before beginning a successful private practice in Dothan in 1969 with the firm now known as Ramsey, Baxley & McDougle. He served as city attorney for the City of Dothan from 1973 through 1981. He was counsel for the Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority and a member of the Houston County Personnel Board for more than 30 years. During his career, he helped to build a prestigious law firm, with a significant focus upon insurance defense litigation.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Wade was very active in his local, state and national bar associations. He served as president of the Houston County Bar Association. In 1999, he was elected president of the Alabama State Bar, after serving on the Board of Bar Commissioners for more than 12 years. He was a member of the American Bar Association, serving on its board of governors from 2003 to 2006. He also served for many years as the Alabama State Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. He served as president of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association in 1996 and was a member of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys. He was on the boards of trustees of the Farrah Law Society and the Alabama Law Foundation. He was a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Alabama Law Foundation.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Wade was active in community and charitable organizations. He was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Dothan. He was a member of the Dothan-Houston County Rotary Club. He served as president of the Kiwanis Club. He served as president of the Houston County Division of the American Heart Association.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0To know Wade Baxley was to love him. His enthusiasm for life was remarkable. He loved God. He loved his family. He loved the practice of law. He loved politics. He loved sports. He loved golf. He loved the beach. He loved his community. Perhaps most obviously he loved the people around him. He was a constant and true friend to many. He was the consummate jokester, cajoler and heckler. He took as well as he gave. He brought out the best in people: the desire to do the right t hings in the right way all in the name of goodness and justice. For Wade, justice required care for the poor, the downtrodden and the outcast of our society. He was an intelligent, skillful and devoted lawyer who was passionately committed to the public good...
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