Savannah-born Judge Willie Jake Lovett Jr., remembered as a man with a passion to help children, died Monday in Atlanta. He was 53 years old.

Lovett, who served most notably as the Presiding Judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court, was born on March 22, 1963, in Savannah, where he attended St. Luke Baptist Church and St. Thomas AME Church.

Lovett attended Pearl Lee Smith Elementary School, John S. Wilder Middle School and Herschel V. Jenkins High School from 1977 – 1978. He graduated as valedictorian from Alfred Ely Beach High School in 1981, where he served as the president of his senior class.

While at Beach High School, he was a member of the football team, a member of the National BETA club, and National Honors Society. He was a very active member of the Beach High School Alumni Association. In 1981, he received the Emancipation Award from the late attorney Robbie E. Robinson for having the highest GPA for a high school student in Chatham County.

In 1985, Lovett earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, cum laude with distinction from Yale University, where he served as the president of the African American Black Cultural Club, was a member of the 1985 Scroll and Key Society and pledged to the Zeta Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

In 1988, Lovett earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He earned his Master of Laws in Litigation from Emory Law School in 1991.

Lovett was a longtime advocate for children and youth, and he was most recently appointed as the Presiding Judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court in 2013.

Carver State Bank director of strategic initiatives Robert James II worked with Lovett at Troutman Sanders law firm in the 1990′s. James said he looked up to Lovett as both a friend and a colleague and called him a “fun-loving, very affable guy.”

“When we were practicing law, we were good friends. We enjoyed hanging out with colleagues, going out to lunch,” James said. “He was the life of the party. He was a great guy to be around, and everyone always wanted to be around him.”

James said Lovett’s persona truly shined when he began working at the Fulton County Juvenile Court.

“He really hit his stride as a person and professional at the Juvenile Court,” James said. “He was passionate about helping kids, and took a lot of pride in — not only the kids who were facing challenges — but helping foster children find permanent homes.”

Lovett had a passion for traveling, golfing, gardening, recycling, sporting events, cooking and grilling. Children in his court often referred to him as the “bow tie judge.”

His funeral service is being held Friday in Atlanta.

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