Julian Denver Fleming Jr.

Julian Denver (“J.D.”) Fleming, Jr., 83, died peacefully at his Atlanta home on July 29, 2017. Born in Rome, Georgia, to Julian D. Fleming, Sr. and Margaret Mangham Fleming, J.D. held a lifelong interest in science and technology, as demonstrated by his first career in chemical engineering. After graduating from O’Keefe High School, he received his B.Ch.E. and Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he taught from 1955 to 1967, rising to the rank of professor. He also served as Research Engineer at the Georgia Tech Engineering Experiment Station, Staff Consultant with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a consultant in chemical engineering and metallurgy. J.D. married the former Sidney Mack Howell, then a medical student, in 1960 after they met on a blind date. J.D. began attending classes at night school at the Emory University School of Law so that he could work more effectively with lawyers in connection with his work as an expert witness. He did not initially plan to pursue a career in law. To his surprise, J.D. completed enough classes to earn his degree, graduating first in his class from Emory in 1967. He practiced litigation for more than 40 years with the firm then known as Sutherland, Asbill, & Brennan, where he established and led the Intellectual Property practice. J.D. held numerous positions with the American Bar Association, most notably chair of the Section of Science and Technology Law, Delegate to the House of Delegates for the same section, member of the Board of Governors, and chair of the Special Committee on Citation Issues, which developed a uniform method to cite court decisions published on the Internet along with printed decisions. He was a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a Fellow of the American Inns of Court Foundation, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

J.D. was fascinated by computers and in 1978 became one of the first attorneys in Georgia to use a computer in a courtroom. Portable computers were particularly appealing to him, and he could often be spotted sitting on a bench and tapping on a laptop or palmtop computer while accompanying his wife and daughter Julie shopping. J.D. enjoyed travel, particularly to Norway, Santa Fe, and Wyoming. One of his treasured possessions was the Bible his parents gave him in 1957, which he read daily. J.D.’s most enduring love was that for his family. Following his diagnosis with Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, J.D. began to accompany Julie on her business trips, squeezing in time for fun and making memories whenever possible, and he doted on Julie's dogs Patches, Jake, and Gracie. As dementia progressed, J.D.’s family came to include several tender and devoted caregivers, most notably Marva Montgomery, who supported him faithfully during his nearly 33 months in home hospice.

J.D.’s wife Sidney Howell Fleming, M.D. and parents predeceased him, and he is survived by one daughter, Julie Adrianne Fleming. J.D. was buried on August 2, 2017 at a private service. His life will be celebrated at a service at the First Christian Church of Decatur (Disciples of Christ) at 11 AM on August 11, 2017.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Purple Sherpa, Inc. (2480 Briarcliff Rd. NE, Suite 6-191, Atlanta, GA 30329 or www.ThePurpleSherpa.org), a charity established to educate and support dementia family care-partners.