Among many friends and family, Bill Van Nortwick bid farewell to us all on January 12, 2019. As with any effort Bill undertook, his two-year battle against multiple myeloma was valiant. He died peacefully, and died a credit to his family, his profession, and the community he had helped so often. His beloved Maria sat by his side.
Bill was raised on the streets of Ortega. Born to Dr. Van (a prominent urologist) and Grace Taylor Van Nortwick, he was the oldest of four children. For reasons that remain puzzling, his brother, Wallace, and sisters, Clare and Nina, were all born on the same date. His childhood friends, reminiscing at his bedside on January 12, could not recall whether the sport in the street was two-man football, two-man baseball, two-man swimming, or two-man wrestling, but the consensus of all memories was that Bill Van Nortwick was the one who always played by the rules.
He graduated from St. Johns Country Day School and Duke University, followed by the University of Florida School of Law. Retired Circuit Judge Larry Turner, later a close friend, was so intimidated by his new, incredibly intelligent classmate that he almost withdrew from law school. Bill's very existence was to work tirelessly to help persons less able to help themselves. He did this with the devotion, support, and love of his wife, Maria Henderson. Bill and Maria met in 1980 when both were training for the New York City Marathon, and married in October 1999.
Bill's law career began with the long-established Jacksonville firm of Martin, Ade, Birchfield and Mickler, where he developed lifetime friendships with Barbara Johnston and John Milton. Influenced by the likes of Kent Spuhler, Sam Jacobson, and others, he began what became a lifelong commitment to serving others. In 1994, Bill was appointed by the Governor of Florida to the First District Court of Appeal, where he served as an outstanding jurist for over 20 years. Upon his retirement in 2015, Bill joined the Jacksonville office of Akerman LLP, where he became the National Director of Pro Bono, coordinating the delivery of legal services to the poor in Akerman's offices throughout the nation. (Not surprisingly, Maria was already a presence at Akerman and patiently awaited his arrival after he left the Court of Appeal).
Bill's service within the legal profession to countless committees and commissions is unmatched, so it was no surprise when he was recognized with the highest award for helping the poor given in Jacksonville (Robert Beckham Equal Justice Award), the highest award for helping the poor given by the State of Florida (The Florida Bar Foundation Medal of Honor), and the highest award for helping the poor given nationally by the American Bar Association (Pro Bono Publico Award). He twice taught the United States legal system at the university level in Italy.
Bill traveled and hiked throughout the world with Maria. He appreciated wine, literature, and art. Perhaps most of all, he was a diehard Duke basketball fan. In the hours before Bill left the battlefield, Maria reached up and turned on the broadcast of the Duke/FSU game simply to watch him smile.
Bill's exceptional talents lead him to serve as President of The Florida Bar Foundation, to be named by the Supreme Court to its Professionalism Commission and its Commission on Access to Civil Justice, and to receive the Chief Justice's Distinguished Judicial Service Award.
Unafraid of any challenge, and fearless in the face of injustice, he remained armed with his favorite quotation, by the late Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Earl Warren: "Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile, I caught hell for."
Bill is survived by his brother, Wallace Van Nortwick (Debbie); sister, Nina Van Nortwick; sister, Clare Gilmore (Paul); nephews and nieces, Wade Van Nortwick, Patrick Gilmore, and Manon Gilmore.
A memorial service will be held at the Garden Club of Jacksonville, 1005 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 on Friday, February 15, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Mayo Clinic, The Florida Bar Foundation, or the V Foundation.
Arrangements are entrusted to HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, FL.
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