Ernest A. Loveless Jr., 84, of Clinton, a retired circuit court judge and former state delegate, died Aug. 5, 2007, at Southern Maryland Hospital Center in Clinton.

Originally appointed to the bench by Gov. Millard Tawes in 1960, Loveless served as the chief judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court from 1976 until his retirement in 1992. He continued to serve in a recall capacity for many years after retirement.

A lifelong resident of Clinton, he was born in Washington, D.C., Nov. 29, 1922, and was the son of the late Ernest A. Loveless Sr. and the late Lillian V. Kershaw Loveless.

He graduated from Surrattsville High School in Clinton in 1939 as class president and valedictorian.

He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1943, and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from July 1943 to November 1945.

Loveless received his bachelor of laws degree from George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C., in 1947, and his master of laws degree in June 1948.

Admitted to the Maryland Bar Association in July 1948, he received one of the five highest grades on the bar examination. He began his law practice in Clinton and Waldorf.

He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1954 and 1958. He resigned in 1960 to accept a judgeship.

He was a member of the Prince George’s County Bar Association, Maryland Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Judicature Society, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, Committee on Juvenile Courts in Maryland and the District Advisory Board for the Public Defender System.

Loveless also served as chairman of the Maryland Judicial Conference and the Maryland Circuit Judges’ Conference.

He was appointed county administrative judge for Prince George’s County in January 1970. In 1975, he was appointed circuit administrative judge for the 7th Judicial Circuit of Maryland, which serves Prince George’s, Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties. At the time of his retirement, he was the senior tenured jurist in the state.

He was the recipient of many awards, including the Prince George’s County Bar Association Distinguished Service Award, Prince Georgian of the Year and the Maryland State Bar Association’s Eney Award for Distinguished Service.

Always involved in the community, Loveless served with the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department, parent-teacher association, Clinton Lions Club, Clinton American Legion Post, J. Paul Duke Veterans of Foreign Wars, Southern Maryland Society, Young Democrats of Prince George’s County, Prince George’s Democratic Club, Young Men’s Democratic Club of Prince George’s County, Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, Southern County Board of Trade, Knights of Columbus, Surratts Stage Door Company and the Surratts Society.

Loveless was known for fairness, humility and mildness of temperament.

Attorneys who practiced before him lauded his understanding of issues before the court and well-reasoned opinions. He was particularly instrumental in numerous innovations and improvements in court administration in the areas of domestic relations and juvenile matters.

He is remembered as the ‘‘adoption judge.”

He was best known for his compassion, said Vincent J. Femia, a retired judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court.

‘‘The whole time that I served, except for the last three years, he was my chief judge,” Femia said. ‘‘Judge Loveless was a judicial focal point for many of us young lawyers. He was our chief.

‘‘He was known far and wide for his compassion,” he added. ‘‘He was an extremely compassionate person. I’ve witnessed the man agonizing over sending people to prison. He sent them, but it agonized him to do it. He was such a good man.”

‘‘He was always willing to listen to your problems and help you solve them,” said Charles County Circuit Court Robert C. Nalley, circuit court administrative judge for Charles County. ‘‘I considered him a mentor. He was someone I could always go to with problems or challenges. ... He was just a very, very congenial fellow who made it easy for the rest of us to do what we needed to do.”

Loveless appreciated those who mentored him, among them the late Milton M. Somers, Lansdale Sasscer and Court of Appeals Judge J. Dudley Digges. In turn, he enjoyed mentoring young attorneys, and his door was always open for advice and encouragement.

Loveless was an avid sportsman, especially passionate about goose hunting on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, the former Margaret Bealle of Waldorf; children, Barbara Holtz of La Plata, Veronica ‘‘Roni” Brandt of Easton, Michael Loveless of Hughesville and Patrick Loveless of Waldorf; nine grandchildren; and three great-granddaughters.

Visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Aug. 15 and Aug. 16 at Lee Funeral Home in Clinton.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Aug. 17 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Clinton. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, National Capital Area, P.O. Box 1889, La Plata, MD 20646, or St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 8908 Old Branch Avenue, Clinton, MD 20735.

Staff writer Nancy Bromley McConaty contributed to thisreport.
 
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