Judge Reese Obituary, Death – The death of Judge Clyde Reese has deeply saddened the Court of Appeals judges. Judge Reese died unexpectedly on December 17, 2022, after a brief hospital stay. According to Chief Judge Brian Rickman, “Judge Reese has been an excellent coworker and member of our Court family. In every way, he was a gentleman: kind, gracious, and hardworking. He’ll be sorely missed.” Amanda Mercier, Vice Chief Judge, added, “Judge Reese was one of the most thoughtful and caring people I’d ever met. He was infinitely wise, and I sought his counsel on many occasions over the years. His steady leadership and gentle heart will be greatly missed.
I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity to call him both a colleague and a friend.” Governor Nathan Deal appointed Judge Reese to the Georgia Court of Appeals, and he began serving in December 2016. In January 2019, he was elected to the Court for a six-year term. “Clyde was a wonderful man who became a close friend of mine. He will be greatly missed.” M. Yvette Miller, the presiding judge, stated. “I’ll never forget his kind call after Governor Deal’s appointment, asking if I’d swear him in and talking about his new role on the court. I was both honored and moved.”
According to Senior Judge Herbert Phipps.
“Clyde Reese was a gentle, kind, and wise man who spoke only when he needed to say something important, not just to say something.” “The world was a better place with him in it.” Prior to his appointment to the Court, Judge Reese was the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). Judge Reese toured the state extensively, visiting hospitals and other healthcare providers. He was particularly concerned about healthcare access in Georgia’s rural areas. He was also the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services, the DCH’s Deputy General Counsel and then General Counsel, and the General Counsel of the State Health Planning Agency, which was later merged into the DCH.