Thomas Day Wilcox

Thomas Day Wilcox Jr., Senior Superior Court Judge, died August 20, 2020, due to complications from cancer.Judge Wilcox was born on December 27, 1942 in Fitzgerald, Georgia.The son of the late Tommie Day Wilcox and Laura McLeod Wilcox, he grew up in Wilcox County, Georgia.He was valedictorian of his high school class at Abbeville High School and graduated from Mercer University with an AB degree in 1965 and a JD degree in 1973.While at Mercer, he served as President of the Student Government Association and was Captain of the varsity basketball team, later being inducted into the Mercer Athletic Hall of Fame. Judge Wilcox served in the United States Navy, reaching the grade of Lieutenant.Following his military service and graduation from Mercer Law School, he began the practice of law with John E. James and B. Robert Shipp in Macon.During his time as a lawyer, he was President of the Macon Bar Association, Chairman of the State Disciplinary Board for Lawyers, and was a member of the Georgia State Bar Board of Governors.He was appointed to the office of Judge of the Superior Court of the Macon Judicial Circuit in 1981.While in office he was elected President of the Council of Superior Court Judges.He was a charter member of the National Consortium of Task Forces and Commissions on Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts.In 2014, the Administrative Office of Courts in Georgia created the Judge Tommy Day Wilcox Award to honor court personnel who exemplify vision and sound leadership in promoting the mission of accountability courts in Georgia, honoring his role in creating the first Adult Drug Court in Georgia.He was the first recipient of the award. Judge Wilcox was also active in civic affairs.He served as a trustee of the Macon-Bibb County Library Board, as Chairman of the Board at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences, on the board of the Methodist Home for Children and Youth, and on the Board of Trustees of Mercer University, where he also served as President of the Alumni.He was a member of the Vineville United Methodist Church, where he was a trustee and served a term as Chairman of the Administrative Board.He was also a founder of the Allen Sanders Fellowship Class. Judge Wilcox is survived by his wife of fifty-two years, Cindy, his children Sally Anne Wilcox Brown (Scott) of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and Thomas Day Wilcox III (Jessica) of Athens, Georgia, his grandchildren Benedicte Eloise Brown, Thomas Day Wilcox IV, and Adaliene Anne Wilcox, and his brother Roderick McLeod Wilcox (Sally) of Albany, Georgia and many nieces and nephews. He was laid to rest in a private service officiated by Dr. Jimmy Asbell Jr. in Abbeville, Georgia on Saturday August 22, 2020.Memorial contributions in his honor may be made to Vineville United Methodist Church in Macon, Georgia or to Abbeville United Methodist Church in Abbeville, Georgia. Tommy Day was a devoted friend and he loved making memories and telling stories.So that he might live the more richly in all of our memories, the family invites all who knew and loved him to share their stories of Tommy Day by emailing them to tommydaywilcoxstories@gmail.com. Frazier and Son Funeral and Cremation Services was in charge of arrangements.