John R. Strother, Jr.

Atlanta, GA—John R. Strother, Jr., 76, husband of Elsie Strother of 47 years, died Monday, September 26, 2011 at his residence. A native of Atlanta, GA, Mr. Strother was the son of the late John R. and Bernice Smith Strother. He was a member of the Gridiron Society and an active member of Emory Baptist Church until its dissolution. He served in the US Air National Guard, and he enjoyed hunting and fishing with his friends. Mr. Strother graduated from Druid Hills High School, where he served as President of the Student Body. He received his bachelor’s degree and law degree from Emory University. While at Emory, he was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity and a number of other campus organizations. He served as the Student Body President of Emory and received the Brittain Award for distinguished service to the University. Mr. Strother had a general law and trial practice for 27 years with the firms of Strother & Sturgis, Dorsey & Dorsey, and Strother, Weiner & Dwyer. During his years in law practice, he served as Assistant Fulton County Attorney and Special Assistant Attorney General. He was President of The Lawyer’s Club of Atlanta and The Old War Horse Lawyer’s Club. In 1985, he accepted an appointment to serve as United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, a position he held for 17 years. He served as Chief Magistrate Judge for the District, and for the last five years of his career on the bench sat in the Gainesville Division. Following retirement from the Court, he served in numerous fiduciary capacities. In addition to his wife, Mr. Strother is survived by a daughter, Mary Strother Sullivan (David) of Weston, MA; son Jack Strother (Catalina) of Savannah; six grandchildren, Margot and Alex Strother, and Laura, George, John and Zachary Sullivan. Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 10:30 AM at Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Road. Graveside services will be held Saturday, October 1, at 4:00 PM at West View Cemetery in Walhalla, SC. The family will receive friends Friday, September 30, 2011 from 6:00-8:00 PM at H. M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill, 4550 Peachtree Road. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to: The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 811 West Evergreen Avenue, Suite 303, Chicago, IL 60642.