Our People
William Crutchfield, Jr.
In Memoriam
William Crutchfield, one of those rare persons who, while not intending to, becomes the heart and soul of a law firm, has left this life.
Blessed with a brilliant mind, his example of scholarship and attention to detail were an inspiration and example to those privileged to practice with him. Bill was also blessed with a keen sense of humor. He saw the humor that sparkled unseen by most and translated it for us. He also had the rare sensitivity that attuned him to people in every walk of life and gave him the happy license to poke fun at his and our foibles.
Bill raised the bar of scholarship and professionalism in practice within the firm. Among lawyers, he was recognized for his high ethical standards, which garnered the respect and trust of both the bench and bar. With a keen sense of timing, he understood the effective and proper use of legal procedure in the process of resolving disputes, which was so relevant to his field of expertise in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor relationships.
Bill loved people, be they great or small, including his family, friends, co-workers, clients and others he served and those who served him in all walks of life. He also loved the Lord and the privilege of his service to the Church.
Bill died Saturday, April 30, 2011, after a lengthy battle with illness. He was a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain. His father, William Crutchfield, noted architect and artist, and his mother, Mary Mitchell Crutchfield, were descendants of pioneer families in Chattanooga.
Bill graduated with honors from Baylor School and became one of the earlier undergraduate Morehead Scholars at the University of North Carolina. He received his legal education at Vanderbilt University Law School.
Bill began his law practice with Chambliss, Chambliss & Hodge in 1963. He then took a leave of absence for military service in Korea. He was Judge Advocate with the 7th Infantry Division and then spent his final three years of active duty as Depot Judge Advocate at the Anniston, Alabama Army Depot. His love for the military continued until his retirement with the rank of Colonel. He was an honor graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
Bill returned to active practice with this firm in 1968. For many years he was a leading partner until failing health limited his ability to practice as a trial lawyer, so he became of counsel to the firm. He was a member of the American, Tennessee, Georgia, Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain Bar Associations as well as the American Bankruptcy Institute. He served for several years on the Board of the Mid-South Commercial Law Institute and was its President in 1996.
Early in his career Bill was on the Board of the Chattanooga Bar Association. Later he was for 20 years a member of the House of Delegates of the Tennessee Bar Association. He was a Fellow of the Chattanooga and Tennessee Bar Foundations. In 1995 he received the Chattanooga Bar Association's President's Award for distinguished service to the legal community. He was listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights law.
Bill served for several years as City Judge of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he called upon his own experience with mischief in designing creative punishments for juvenile offenders.
He was a long-time member of the Fairyland Club and a charter member of the Walden Club where he served for five years as Chairman of its Board.
From his parents he inherited a love for the outdoors and all of God's plants and creatures. He enjoyed walking the trails of Lookout Mountain and East Tennessee, reveling in the beauties around him. Bill took time to notice and discover the natural treasures we too frequently miss by our superficial hurry. Frequently, he walked these trails alone, taking time to muse and think about life and its meaning. He loved to fly fish and to hunt birds. His friends sought him out to be enriched by his noted skill as raconteur and his infectious love for life. Thus, it was natural that he served many terms as a member of the Board of Reflection Riding begun by his partner John A. Chambliss and his wife Margaret.
For many years Bill was a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lookout Mountain where he served as a Vestryman. He found particular fulfillment as a Lay Reader and Chalice Bearer, and in his ministry as a Eucharistic Visitor for those who could not attend church services. His sensitivity and responsiveness through this ministry was a healing presence to people who were otherwise isolated.
Bill is survived by his wife and soul mate, Pat, his son Neal Crutchfield and his daughter, Mary Katherine Harper. He is also survived by six grandsons, Neal Jr., Will, George, Max, Brandon and Caleb, a granddaughter Natalie and a great-granddaughter Bailey.