Funeral Scheduled For Former Williamson County Judge Higginbotham

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Funeral services have been scheduled for Donald Higginbotham, a former Williamson County court-at-law judge.

Higginbotham, 76, died Tuesday at his home. Services are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey funeral home at 6101 Bosque Blvd. in Waco., Texas. Friends and family are invited to gather for fellowship at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey on Thursday March 8th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

In addition to having served as County Court-at-law No. 3 judge, Higginbotham also served as a municipal court judge for the city of Georgetown. He stepped down as judge in June 2010 after serving for 11 years to take care of his wife who was diagnosed with cancer, according to an online obituary.

The obituary paints a picture of a well-rounded man who was at once accessible yet could quote from great poets from memory and sing country ballads with guitar accompaniment — something of a Renaissance cowboy. His previous "no ties" request barring the neck wear from his funeral service is indicative of the former attribute of accessibility.

According to the obituary, Higginbotham was surrounded by friends and family members at the time of his death. He is to be laid to rest beside his wife, Debra, who preceded him in death in 2011.

Born April 3, 1941, in Lampasas, Texas, he was the only child of Nelson Higginbotham and Loene Ferguson Higginbotham. Don spent part of his childhood in Tyler, Texas, while his father was stationed there with the Department of Public Safety. Upon moving back to Waco, he continued his public school education, graduating from Waco High School in 1959

After high school, Don enrolled at the University of Texas in Austin, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1963, followed by a Bachelor of Law and Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1966. Don joined the U.S. Marine Corps while in college in 1960, and was trained as a rifleman as well as a military attorney.

He initially served as a Judge Advocate in the First Marine Division while stationed in South Vietnam. He would later request to take command of a Reaction Rifle Company during the Tet Offensive of 1968, and as the company commander leading his troops in battle, he was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat V device for his actions during that offensive. Don’s was the only such combat award received by a Judge Advocate officer turned rifle company commander during the Vietnam War, his obituary notes.

Higginbotham retired from the Marine Corps as a colonel following 33 years of service. Although retired, he remained a proud Marine until he drew his last breath, according to his obituary. His distinguished USMC career now will be honored in the historical section of the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas.

Following his active duty military service Don worked for the Federal Trade Commission, rising to the position of Assistant Regional Director in Dallas. While in Dallas Don continued his education, earning a Masters in Liberal Arts and a Masters of Law in 1975 from Southern Methodist University. He then moved from Dallas to Austin and then to Georgetown in 1980, opening a small solo law practice. While practicing law, he was appointed Municipal Court Judge for the City of Georgetown and served as presiding judge for Williamson County’s first Teen Court, a tradition carried on to the present day.

In that role, Higginbotham was routinely appointed to difficult and high-profile felony criminal cases by the district judges and developed a successful practice. He was appointed Judge of Williamson County Court-at-Law #3, and was subsequently elected to two four-year terms, serving in that position for 11 years while receiving many awards for his judicial activities.

He retired mid-term to take care of his ailing wife, who ultimately succumbed to cancer. The couple met when they both volunteered their time with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Their friendship deepened, leading the two to be married in on Jan. 4, 1997. T

Higginbotham was a member of the Georgetown Marine Corps League and the VFW and the China Spring Methodist Church. Additionally, he was a 32nd degree Mason and Shriner. He also was a member and Past President of the storied Tejas Vaqueros in Kerrville, Texas, and a lifetime member of the prestigious Ranchero Visitadores in Santa Inez, Calif. An avid hunter and fisherman, he also was a prolific reader and gifted storyteller. He also loved music, and could be relied upon to show up at various venues in Austin, guitar in hand, to perform cowboy ballads in his rich, powerful baritone voice. In addition, he had a gift for reciting the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Rudyard Kipling, A. E. Housman, and others from his extraordinary memory, according to his obituary

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486, designated for research in memory of Debra and Don Higginbotham. Pallbearers at his funeral service will include Williamson County Judge Dan A. Gattis, Dan M. Gattis.

Those wishing to leave a message or memory can do so on the funeral home's “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com. To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Donald Higginbotham, visit our Tribute Store.

>>> Uppermost image via Shutterstock, photo of Donald Higginbotham via Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey funeral home