William Mackenzie Cave

Retired Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge William Mackenzie Cave, born February 4, 1934, died on December 20, 2022, after a long and note-worthy life. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. He was a graduate of both University of Maryland and University of Maryland Law School. After serving his country in the Army in the early 1950s and a brief stint in private practice, Bill became Deputy States Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland. In 1971 he was appointed by Governor Marvin Mandel to the District Court of Maryland (at that time the youngest person ever to have been given that honor). Six years later he was appointed to Montgomery County Circuit Court, where he served until his retirement in December 1995. Respected and admired by the legal community, he was considered a fair and well-reasoned member of the judiciary.

He took great joy in the company of others and was always the life of the party. An avid although not particularly accurate golfer, after his retirement he enjoyed playing in tournaments with various senior leagues, particularly Manor Club and the Montgomery County Bar Association’s semi-yearly outings. He was a dedicated dad, who coached intermural soccer and basketball. He loved to make others laugh. He was a good bridge player, a great ballroom dancer, and took delight in belting out his version of Danny Boy at annual St. Patrick’s Day parties.

He was a lover of family, friends and animals. A kind and funny man blessed with a quick wit, a keen sense of humor and almost more jokes than one can count (and they have actually been counted because his wife, having heard them all, finally started tabulating). He was a good man — a serious soul who never took himself seriously. He had lifelong friends, and he had a long, long life.

He is survived by his wife, Ginny; his son, Darrin of Germantown, Md.; his daughter, Sherri Pulchasky (Richard) of Florence, Mass. and five grandchildren.

Interment will be private. There are no plans for a memorial service at this time.