Macon judge remembered for care he showed troubled juveniles

Retired Bibb County Juvenile Court Judge Othniel McGehee died Wednesday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

McGehee, 88, served as the Juvenile Court judge for nearly 30 years before retiring in 1997.

One of McGehee’s sons, Othniel “Buddy” McGehee Jr., said his father was a lifelong resident of Macon and proud of the city.

“He always tried to make this a better place,” he said.

Buddy McGehee said his father was a caring man who always worked for the benefit of Macon’s children.

Members of the McGehee family said Thursday that many people often approached the judge to thank him for changing for the better the lives of troubled youths.

“He saved a lot of young lives,” said the judge’s widow, Jessie Balkcom McGehee.

Othniel McGehee was born Feb. 7, 1927, and served in the U.S. Army in Germany at the end of World War II.

He attended Emory University for law school and began his legal career in 1951. He served as the judge for Macon’s Recorders Court in the early 1960s before becoming the lone judge for the Bibb County Juvenile Court in 1969.

“He was a judge in that court all by himself for years,” said another of his sons, Frank McGehee. “His fingerprints are all over the Juvenile Court system.”

After retiring, McGehee continued to serve as a senior judge.

“I hate to leave the Juvenile Court here,” McGehee told The Telegraph in a 1996 story. “It’s been a habit. But I think I might be useful in other situations.”

In addition to being a judge, McGehee also served as president of the Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau and was a business owner, owning two Howard Johnson’s motels and restaurants. Buddy McGehee said his father also served on the Governor’s Council for Mental Health.

“People say he never demanded respect -- he earned respect,” Buddy McGehee said. “He was always respectful in the way he treated other people.”

McGehee is survived by his wife, six children, a stepson and 14 grandchildren.

The visitation and funeral service will be Monday at Ingleside Baptist Church in Macon. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. in the fellowship hall followed by the funeral at 11 a.m. in the chapel. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ingleside Baptist Church, 834 Wimbish Road, Macon, GA 31210 or the Alzheimer’s Association, 886 Mulberry St., Macon, GA 31201.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.

This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Macon judge remembered for care he showed troubled juveniles ."