Liberty Garden Dedication Event Held

Article Date: Monday, August 17, 2009

Zac Moretz and his wife, with children (from left) Chase, Piper, Tate and Sawyer.

Several North Carolina attorneys were commemorated at the Liberty Garden Dedication Ceremony held Friday, July 24, at the N.C. Bar Center in Cary.

Development Committee Chair Ralph Clontz presided. He was joined on the program by the Development Committee’s Mahlon W. DeLoatch Jr., C. Thomas Steele Jr. from the Board of Governors, Executive Director Allan Head and Tom Hull, director of development.

Presentations included memorial dedications of the J. Douglas Moretz Liberty Fund, the Susan Ivy McCrory Walkway Bench and the Isaac T. Avery Jr. Walkway Bench.

Thirty-four Lakeview Plaza Pavers were also dedicated.

Jerry Everhardt, Ike Avery, wife Patti and Allison Everhardt

Moretz played an integral part in the addition of crossing arms to the front bumper of public school buses in North Carolina after a friend of the family was severely injured in an accident while crossing in front of a bus after school. In honor of Moretz’s successes, a public school bus was available on site throughout the dedication ceremony and celebration.

Avery, a retired colonel who served in World War II and the Korean Conflict, also served as president of the NCBA for one and a half terms between 1962 and 1963. He practiced law in Statesville for over 50 years, and played an active role in the statewide court system reform and on a legislative committee that rewrote the Juvenile Code. The bench was commemorated by his son, Isaac T. Avery III.

McCrory, who passed away in January, was not only honored with a walkway bench but also with a plaque from the Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section recognizing her service and dedication to the section. Immediate Past-Chair Larry Rocamora presented the honor to McCrory’s mother, Beverly Ivy of Savannah, Ga., and sister Sharon Weiss of Washington, D.C.

As noted by partner Christy Reid, “One of the things Susan most appreciated about her service in the bar association was the opportunity it gave her to get to know and work with attorneys throughout this state and on the association staff. When those attorneys come to this place and see this bench, it will remind them of the exemplary service of Susan Ivy McCrory to the profession and this Association.”

Barbara Ivy with McCrory’s brother and sister, Robert Ivy and Sharon Ivy Weiss

The Liberty Garden was formally dedicated May 11, 2006. Foremost among its numerous naming opportunities are the Liberty Funds, commemorated through the glass etchings that adorn the Liberty Wall of Honor.

Each glass panel honors a North Carolina attorney whose career demonstrates dedication to the pursuit of justice and outstanding service to the profession and the public. A Liberty Fund recognizes the honoree and his or her contributions to the state’s legal profession with a glass panel inscribed with the attorney’s likeness, name, hometown and important dates.

A Liberty Fund is a unique way to pay tribute to a North Carolina lawyer and to ensure their place in the legal history of North Carolina. It is a permanent and lasting way to honor a lawyer because it provides recognition among their peers and signifies respect within the legal community. It allows family, friends and colleagues to affirm the importance of the law to the lawyer being honored and furthers that commitment through the programs of the Foundation Endowment.

Larry Rocamora presents plaque to McCrory’s mother, Barbara Ivy.

Liberty Funds are established through gifts of $10,000. Walkway benches are underwritten through contributions of $5,000 whereas the metal plaza benches are funded through gifts of $3,000. Lakeview Plaza pavers are funded through gifts of $250 to $1,500.

The NCBA Foundation is a tax exempt charitable organization, established in 1960, that supports the mission of NCBA by protecting and promoting the legal rights of citizens, building respect for and understanding of the law, and enhancing the professional competence of lawyers. The NCBA Foundation Endowment was established in 1987 to enable the foundation to fund programs and activities to better serve the public and the legal profession.

As of June 2009, the endowment had awarded grants totaling $3,162,700 for 420 projects.

 

The newly dedicated Lakeview Plaza Pavers were installed honoring the following lawyers and firms:

Robert F. Baker
H. Grady Barnhill, Jr.
P. C. Barwick, Jr.
P. Collins Barwick, III
Jesse V. Bone, Jr.
Amy Delp Byrd
Langdon M. Cooper
Craige Brawley Liipfert & Walker LLP
Sharon C. Daniel
Peter S. Gilchrist, III
Louise Harris
J. Wade Harrison
J. Mark Heavner
Joseph B. Henninger, Jr.
J. Mack Holland, Jr.
Richard E. Jenkins
Lee Edward Knott, Jr.
James R. Martin
John W. Mason
Frederick T. Mattox
J. Reid McGraw, Jr.
Patricia T. Meador
Mullen Holland & Cooper
James Mullen
Frank Newton
Robert B. Norris
Nancy B. Paschall
Dorn C. Pittman, Jr.
John H. Russell, Jr.
Perry S. Safran
J. Brian Scott
Elizabeth N. Sumner
H. Randolph Sumner
Robert J. Wishart