Benjamin K. Wexler

Died: Aug. 11, 2012

Benjamin King Wexler passed away on Saturday at the age of 90.

Ben Wexler was married for 55 years to Mary Lou Hull Wexler, who passed away on Jan. 6, 2003.

He was a former attorney, and served 20 years as a Circuit Court Judge of the Third Judicial District. He retired as a judge in 2006.

Mr. Wexler was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church, where he was a member of the Men's Bible Class.

He served on the board of trustees of Greene Valley Developmental Center and Holston United Methodist Home for Children.

Mr. Wexler was a member of the Greene County Republican Party, the Greeneville Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, the Greeneville Exchange Club, the Greeneville/Greene County Humane Society, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Andrew Johnson Post No. 1990.

Survivors include three sons and a daughter-in-law: Hayes Hull Wexler, Edwin Benjamin Wexler, and Russell Benjamin and Gena Sanslow Wexler; a grandson: Benjamin King Wexler II; a stepgrandson: Hunter Durham Duff; two brothers and sisters-in-law: James "Jim" and Joan Wexler of Frenchburg, Ky., and Steve and Debbie Wexler of Statesville, N.C.; a nephew and niece: Brandon Cordell Hull and wife, Paige, of Greeneville, and Leslie Ann Hull of Knoxville; several cousins; his very special caregivers: Ray and Sherry Wills; and a very special friend: Nancy Mitchell.

He was the son of the late Henry Beck and Lila Lee King Wexler.

He attended and graduated from Boones Creek High School in Washington County.

After high school, he entered the U.S. Air Corps and later was assigned to the 8th Air Force that was located in England.

He was a crew member on a B-17 Flying Fortress and flew 17 combat bombing missions over Europe. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, three air medals and two battle stars.

He entered East Tennessee State College (now University) in 1946 and graduated in 1949.

For the nine years that followed, he worked for Free Service Tire Co., Inc., in Johnson City. In the fall of 1958, he entered the University of Tennessee College of Law. He graduated in December 1960.

After obtaining his law license, he worked in the Land Branch of the Tennessee Valley Authority from 1961 until 1966, and at that time moved to Greeneville to practice law.

He was an assistant district attorney general from 1969 until 1976, and Greeneville City Judge from 1973 until 1980. In addition, he served as Greene County Attorney from 1978 until 1986.

In 1986, he was elected Circuit Court Judge for the Third Judicial District of Tennessee from which he retired in 2006.

Honorary pallbearers will be the judges of the Third Judicial District: Judge Kindall T. Lawson, Judge Thomas J. Wright, Judge John K. Wilson, Chancellor Thomas R. Frierson II, Judge Kenneth N. Bailey, and Judge John F. Dugger Jr.; Child Support Magistrate Pagan Cox-Wilhoit, the members of the Greene County Bar Association, Charles Morelock, Schery Collins, Gail Davis Jeffers, Anna Anderson and friends and staff of the East and West wings of the Laughlin HealthCare Center.

Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Asbury UM Church. The Rev. Jeannie Higgins will officiate.

Entombment will follow in the Chapel Mausoleum at GreeneLawn Memory Gardens with military honors being conveyed by the Greene County Honor Guard and the Tennessee National Guard.

In lieu of flowers, contributions are asked to be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County and the Greeneville/Greene County Humane Society.