William Malcolm Towson, Sr., 90, of Dublin, passed away Thursday, June 13, 2013 at home, surrounded by his loving family. Services will be held Monday, June 17, 2013 at 2:00pm at First United Methodist Church with Reverend Thad Haygood, Reverend Jack Key, and Reverend Jimmy Towson officiating. Burial will be at Dublin Memorial Gardens. Towson was born May 31, 1923 in Montrose, GA, the younger son of the late William Franklin Towson and Bertha Neil Ashley Towson. He graduated from Montrose High School and attended the University of Georgia, graduating cum laude with an LLB degree in 1949. He served in the Georgia State Legislature for a period of four years, first in the Senate from 1961-62, and the House of Representatives from 1963-64. While in the legislature, he succeeded in passing legislation in 1962 which established the City of Dublin and County of Laurens Development Authority. Among his other notable legislative achievements was the passage of legislation changing the method of selecting County Board of Education members from appointive to elective. He was elected State Court Judge in 1968 and served in that capacity until 1977 when he was appointed Superior Court Judge by Governor George Busbee to fill the unexpired term of the late Judge William Herschel White. During his tenure as Superior Court Judge from 1977 until his retirement January 1, 2000, he implemented changes which included computerizing the selection of jurors, adopting local Court Rules prior to the Supreme Court's imposing the State Uniform Court Rules, establishing a Public Defender program, setting up a circuit-wide budget for all the offices in the Dublin Judicial Circuit, adding the office of an additional Superior Court Judge, instigating a Small Claims Court (now Magistrate Court) for Laurens County, and initiating a Drug Court for first-time offenders. In addition, he launched video arraignments at the Laurens County LEC, and was instrumental in establishing the Fatherhood Initiative in conjunction with Child Support Enforcement and Heart of Georgia Tech, and in having a Diversion Center located in Laurens County. He also was instrumental in establishing an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program and a mandatory Divorcing Parents Seminar for use in cases involving minor children, and served as administrative court judge for the Eighth Judicial Administrative District. Judge Towson practiced law in Dublin from 1949-1977, served as Dublin City Attorney from 1954-56, Laurens County Attorney from 1965-68, City Attorney for East Dublin 1969-77, Attorney for the Laurens County Board of Education from 1969-77, and Attorney for the Dublin Housing Authority from 1960-64. He served on the State Disciplinary Board for the State Bar of Georgia, and, under Governor Carl Sanders, was a member of the Judicial Nominations Commission. He was a member of the Dublin-Laurens County Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the American Bar Association, and the Council of Superior Court Judges. A World War II veteran, Judge Towson served in the 1st Calvary Division in the Pacific Theater of Operations from 1945-46. He was a past Post Commander of VFW Post 6544, past State VFW Adjutant General, and a member of the American Legion. He was a past Exalted Ruler and District Deputy of the BPOE (Elks), member of the Montrose Masonic Lodge, Dublin Rotary Club and Dublin Country Club. He was a founding member and first President of the Dublin Civitan Club. He was an active member of the Dublin First United Methodist Church, where he served on the Administrative Board and taught the Men's Bible Class. Judge Towson is survived by his wife of 59 years, Dorothy Perkins Towson, and by his children: William Malcolm (Billy) Towson, Jr., Reverend James V. (Jimmy) and Debbie Towson, Andrew Ashley (Andy) Towson, Allen Kirk and Margaret Hazlett, and Dorothy Marlene Hazlett. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Jim and Gina Towson, Margaret Towson, Katie Towson and Andrew Towson. He was preceded in death by his daughter – "the Apple of his Eye" – Margaret Ann Towson in 1978, and by his brother Ashley Towson. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins. Pallbearers will be Gibbs Flanders, Stan Smith, Johnny Perkins, Larry Hutchinson, Roger Folsom, Francis Lewis, Jim Towson, Bond Hutchinson, and Andrew Towson. Honorary pallbearer will be Tommy Proctor. The family would like to thank the staff at Serenity Hospice, at Home Instead, and their own staff—Martha Robinson, Linda Perry and Betty Lanier—for their excellent care and loving compassion during "The Judge's" illness. Visitation will be held at Townsend Brothers Funeral Home on Sunday, June 16, 2013, from 5:00pm-7:00pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Margaret Ann Towson Memorial Scholarship Fund through the Arch Foundation at the University of Georgia, to First United Methodist Church Building Fund, to Serenity Hospice, or to a charity or church of your choice.