Gazebo Gazette
U.S Senior District Judge Walter J. Gex III of Diamondhead who served for 18 years on South Mississippi’s federal court died on Thursday.
Born in 1939, Gex earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of Mississippi Law School in 1963. He was in private practice in offices in Jackson and Bay St. Louis from 1963 to 1986.
Gex was first nominated by President Ronald Reagan on December 4, 1985, to a new seat on the United States District Court of the Southern District of Mississippi created by Congress where he served for 18 years. The Southern District Court is one of the 94 throughout the country.
In 2004, Justice Gex opted to take senior status, a form of semi-retirement for U.S federal court judges that allows them to continue to work part-time.
In a statement Friday, U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst expressed his condolences for Gex’s wife, Kathleen, and his family.
“Judge Gex was an incredible jurist with a giant personality, a consummate professional and a proud Mississippian and outdoorsman. But most of all, he was always kind and fair, treating people with dignity and respect both inside and outside his courtroom,” said Hurst, who also serves Mississippi’s Southern District. “He served his country well, and I am grateful to have known him and practiced before him.”
Services for Gex will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21 beginning at 10 a.m. at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in northern rural Pass Christian.
