Former NC Supreme Court Justice Willis Whichard, who built rare service record, dies
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- Willis P. Whichard, 85, died in Chapel Hill; served in NC House, Senate, courts.
- Whichard authored a ruling allowing local economic incentives.
- He chaired alternatives-to-incarceration efforts, served as Campbell Law dean.
Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Willis P. Whichard — the only man in North Carolina’s history to serve in the state House of Representatives, state Senate, Court of Appeals and state Supreme Court — died Nov. 18 in Chapel Hill. He was 85.
As a lawmaker, Whichard was instrumental in passing the state’s first Coastal Area Management Act, protecting the coast from more aggressive development seen in other states. As a justice, Whichard penned the decision allowing local governments to provide economic incentives to lure businesses and create jobs.
“He’s one of the best, most dedicated public servants of his generation,” said former House Speaker Joe Hackney, a Chapel Hill Democrat.
Whichard was born in Durham on May 24, 1940, to parents who were school teachers. He attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the honorary society Phi Beta Kappa, and earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the university in 1962 and 1965, respectively.
Whichard went into private practice before going into politics — working as a public administrator for estates and as Durham County’s public guardian, responsible for making decisions on the affairs on those who cannot due to incapacity.
He was elected to the N.C. House in 1970, representing Durham County, and then to the N.C. Senate in 1974, representing Durham, Granville and Person counties. Hackney, who was elected to the legislature in 1980 as Whichard was leaving, said the Durham Democrat had a reputation for working with other lawmakers and avoiding confrontation.
Whichard was considering running for lieutenant governor, a typical path to the governor’s office, but that ended with Gov. Jim Hunt taking advantage of a new law that allowed him to run for a second term. Hunt appointed Whichard to the N.C. Court of Appeals in 1980.
“Out of every generation, only a few people get to be governor,” Whichard said in a 2003 News & Observer profile. “Among my generation, one person took that job four different times. The timing just didn’t work for me.”
While on the court, Whichard chaired the North Carolina Citizens Commission on Alternatives to Incarceration. It pushed for setting limits on jail populations and adding pretrial release programs, a recent Duke Law Journal reported.
Whichard was elected to the Supreme Court in 1986 as an associate justice. He retired from the court in 1998. During his time on the bench he earned a Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Virginia — essentially a Ph.D in law. He then became the dean of Campbell’s School of Law in 1999.
He served as dean until 2006, then returned to private practice. But he remained active in public affairs, serving on boards such as the Public School Forum of North Carolina and the Durham County Library Foundation. He sponsored professional development scholarships in his mother’s name for a teacher in Clay County, where his mother hailed from, and Durham County, where she taught.
“On our board, he brought wisdom, steady leadership and a genuine dedication to civic purpose.,” a forum news release said. “His thoughtful counsel and principled voice strengthened our mission to provide a high-quality public education for every child in North Carolina.”
Mike Woodard, who represented Durham as a state senator from 2013 to 2025, called Whichard a mentor who helped him understand how to get things done.
“He, at his heart I think, was a teacher, and he always liked sharing that lesson that he had learned with you,” Woodard said.
Outside of work and community, Whichard liked to run, swim and play pickup basketball — the last of which he continued to do well into his 40s, said his daughter Jennifer. He was also an avid reader who recently completed all of Charles Dickens’ major works, she said.
He was also a huge fan of the Tar Heels, particularly the men’s basketball team.
In the 2003 profile, Whichard said his biggest accomplishment was his family: “It is both the politically correct answer and the truthful answer.”
Whichard is preceded in death by his parents, Willis G. and Beulah (Padgett) Whichard. Surviving are Leona (Paschal), his wife of 64 years; a brother, Obie; daughters Jennifer Ritz and Ida Silkenat; and six grandchildren.
Clements Funeral & Cremation Services of Durham is handling the arrangements. There will be a public memorial service in January, his daughter Jennifer said.
This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated to correct how Whichard first joined the state Supreme Court.
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