James Donald Humphries III

J.D. (James Donald) Humphries struck his tent, died and passed over the river to rest under the shade of the trees on January 3, 2026. He was born September 27, 1944, to Howald (Hal) G. and Marjorie Bailey Humphries, the first of three Children (Robert B., and Nancy A. Thomas being his siblings). He is survived by his loved and devoted wife Patricia Lawver, his daughter, Laing Humphries, and his son, Josh (James D) and his wife Katie Coyne Humphries, and their three children, Lucy, George and Phoebe, all of Alexandria, Virginia. He loved and was/is proud of them all.

Raised primarily in Florida, he attended Washington & Lee University and graduated with Special Attainments in Commerce in 1966, graduated with honors from its Law School in 1969 and served as an editor of its Law Review. After enrolling at W&L from Florida and unbeknownst to him at the time, he learned Rockbridge County, Virginia, location of W&L, was home and burial place of his paternal grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather’s families.

Moving from Virginia to Atlanta in 1969, he practiced law fifty-two years until June of 2021, and maintained his Georgia license until his death, voluntarily resigning his licenses to practice in other states. He was privileged to either be elected, or served as president of, The Lawyers Club of Atlanta, The Atlanta Lawyers Foundation, Inc., The Atlanta Legal Aid Society, The Atlanta Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse, Inc., The Civil War Round Table of Atlanta, Inc., Mariners V, Inc., and The Atlanta Chapter of Washington & Lee University. In 2016 W&L bestowed upon him its Distinguished Alumnus Award. He served as an usher and Sunday school teacher at the Cathedral of St. Philip for many years. He began his career with Kilpatrick, Cody, Rogers, McClatchey & Regenstein, and subsequently served as managing partner of Varner, Stephens, Humphries & White until its merger with Stites & Harbison, PLLC, and then managed the Atlanta office of Stites & Harbison PLLC, before retiring from Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.

He was pleased to be elected to the Hall of Fame of the Atlanta Chapter of U.S. Lacrosse, Inc., and to be elected to membership in Omicron Delta Kappa, the Burns Club of Atlanta, the Old War Horse Lawyers Club, and the Virginia Chapter of the Society of Cincinnati. In lieu of flowers or contributions to charities, he wishes his friends to have “A Wee Deoch An’ Doris” until he meets them again.

J.D.’s memory is treasured by his sister Nancy, his sisters-in-law Irene and Judy, and his nephews and nieces Bailey Humphries, Chip Thomas (Stacey), Chuck Thomas (SieYeon), Lindsay Thomas, Everett Thomas and his great nieces and nephews.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Cathedral of St. Phillip at a date and time to be announced, and updated on this page. The Cathedral is located at 2744 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30305.