Clarence Lee Peeler, Jr.

Judge Clarence Lee Peeler, Jr., died on Feb. 7, 2008. He served as a DeKalb County Superior Court Judge from 1965 to 2000. He was a voracious reader of all things including history; he loved the law, DeKalb County, golf, and especially his family, to which he was devoted. Judge Peeler, 89, was born in 1918, in Athens, Georgia, the only child of Julia Elizabeth Brown Peeler, and Clarence Lee Peeler, Sr. He was later joined by two adopted siblings, who both pre-deceased him; Allene Peeler Heery, and Ethridge N. Keith. Judge Peeler is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Barbara Brown Peeler; his daughters, Jane Beak, of Charleston, SC, Gail Peeler, of Atlanta, GA, Cecy Lincoln, of E. Thetford, VT; his sons; Clarence Lee Peeler III, of Bethesda, MD, and Raymond Lee Peeler, of Fairfax, VA; and 10 grandchildren. Judge Peeler was married to the former Frances Stiles of Winnetka, IL, who died in 1963. Judge Peeler was a graduate of Chamblee High School, and, in 1939, The Citadel, in South Carolina. His studies at Emory Law School were interrupted in 1942 for service in WWII, where he served in Normandy, Northern France and the Rhineland as a Captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star, for "heroism in ground combat" in France, and served with General Patton's Third Army during the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, Judge Peeler completed his law degree at Atlanta Law School. He passed the Georgia Bar prior to officially finishing Law School, something that could not be done today. He then practiced as a criminal trial lawyer and served as the Assistant Solicitor for the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit. In 1965, he was appointed Superior Court Judge by Governor Carl Sanders, a position he kept until 1984, when he assumed senior status. He continued to hear cases unti1 2000. In recognition of his distinguished public service as a member of the judiciary, he was awarded the prestigious Logan E. Bleckley Award in 1997. Judge Peeler was an active participant in numerous organizations, such as The Lawyers Club of Atlanta and the WWII Round Table. He was a longstanding member of the First Baptist Church of Decatur, and its Alert class. He and Barbara attended many reunions of the 6th Armored Division. Visitation will be held at A.S. Turner & Sons, Saturday, February 9th, 2008, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. A Memorial Service will be held at First Baptist Church of Decatur on Sunday, February 10, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: The Alzheimer's Association, Ga. Chapter, 1925 Century Blvd., N.E., Suite 10, Atlanta, Ga. 30345 or www .alz.org/georgia.  A. S. Turner & Sons