Carley, George

CARLEY, Sr., Justice George Holmes

Justice George Holmes Carley, Sr. of Decatur, GA passed away on November 26, 2020. He was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1938, the only child of George L. Carley Jr. and Dorothy Holmes Carley. His family moved to Decatur, Georgia in 1948. Justice Carley graduated from Decatur High School in 1956. He received his A.B. from the University of Georgia in 1960 and his LL.B. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1962. Justice Carley was admitted to the bar in 1961. He practiced from 1963 until 1979, when he became a judge. Justice Carley was named as a judge in the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1979, then the Georgia Supreme Court in 1993 by appointment of then Gov. Zell Miller. In May 2012, he was sworn in as the 29th Chief Justice, serving as leader of Georgia's judicial system until Dec. 31, 2012, when his term in office came to an end. Justice Carley was the first in Georgia history to serve as Presiding Judge and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, and as Presiding Justice and Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. He was an avid longtime Georgia Bulldogs football fan. He was described as quintessentially old school and almost never appeared in public without his signature attire of a coat and tie. He is survived by his wife Sandy, his son George Carley, Jr. daughter-in-law Lisa and his two grandchildren, George Matthew and Alex. Due to the current Covid-19 health and safety concerns and restrictions, the family will hold a private service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in support of the Georgia High School Mock Trial Program by mailing a check made payable to the State Bar of Georgia Foundation, with Justice Carley's name in the memo line, to Mock Trial Office, 104 Marietta Street NW, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA, 30303. Arrangements are entrusted to A. S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory, Decatur, GA. Please visit asturner.com to leave condolences for the Carley Family.

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Funeral Home Information

A. S. Turner & Sons

2773 North Decatur Road

Decatur, GA