William Anderson

WILLIAM ELBERT ANDERSON United States Bankruptcy Judge William E. Anderson died at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC on June 20, 2013. He was 83. Judge Anderson, or "Bill," as he was known to his family and friends, was a life-long resident of Danville, Virginia. He was honored nationally for his distinguished service to the federal judiciary and to the bankruptcy community. He was a civic leader, a competitive tennis player, an enthusiastic outdoorsman, an accomplished horseman, and a breeder of championship English Setters. Bill had the manners of a Southern gentleman, was always impeccably dressed, had a gentle sense of humor and a playful smile. Above all, he was a loving devoted husband to Carolyn, his wife of 28 years, and he was known to a great many people as a wise, considerate and steadfast friend. Bill was born in Danville on November 21, 1929, to Samuel Ellis Anderson and Mary Lucretia Reaves. He graduated from George Washington High School in Danville, where he played on the football team, and then graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. Subsequently, Bill worked his way through the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond; he received his law degree in 1959. Bill practiced law in Danville for 21 years. He served as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney from 1960 to 1962 and was a partner with his cousin, George B. Anderson, in the firm of Anderson, Anderson & Sinclair from 1962 to 1980. He was a member of the Danville Bar Association and served as President from 1975 - 1976. He was also a member of the Virginia Bar Association, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, and American Bar Association. For the Federal Bar Association he served as a board member and as the first chair of the Bankruptcy Section. In Danville, Bill became a leader in numerous civic and community activities. He was President and board member of both the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Merchant's Association. He also served on the boards of Danville Industrial Development, Inc., Danville Area Development Foundation, Roman Eagle Memorial Home, Inc., the Faith Home, the Salvation Army, and the Tobacco-Textile Museum. In 1979, Governor John Dalton appointed Bill as a Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation. However, Bill did not complete his four-year term as Commissioner because on December 5, 1982, he was appointed United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Virginia, with chambers in Lynchburg. Afterward he was reappointed by the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in 1986 and 1990 to two consecutive 14-year terms. Judge Anderson was Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the district from January 1, 1991 to December 31, 1993. He regularly held court in Lynchburg, Danville and Charlottesville. Judge Anderson was a gifted and highly respected jurist. He had an unbending sense of fairness, practical common sense, and a keen understanding of human nature and of individual people and their circumstances. His excellence as a bankruptcy judge was recognized in 1990 when he was elected Fellow in the first class of the esteemed American College of Bankruptcy. In addition, he served on the Board of Governors of the American Bankruptcy Institute. His abilities were recognized by United States Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who appointed him to distinguished positions within the federal judiciary. As a result, Judge Anderson served from 1988 to 1994 on the Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System of the United States Judicial Conference and, from 1991 to 2001, as Chair of the Bankruptcy Advisory Committee for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Judge Anderson was elected President of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges from 1987 to 1988, and all United States Bankruptcy Judges owe him a tremendous debt for the outstanding contribution made by his persistent, successful efforts on their behalf. His colleagues bestowed on him their highest honor: the Herbert M. Bierce Distinguished Judicial Service Award. This was only the fifth time the award had been given since its creation in 1926. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn and a sister Katherine A. Fulton. A gravesite memorial service, conducted by Reverend Raymond Rowland, will be held on Sunday at 2:00 P.M. at Mountain View Cemetery, Danville, Virginia.