Published in The News & Observer July 19, 2005

James Douglas Moretz, of 1114 Winterlocken Drive, Sanford, died Monday, July 18th after a long illness.

Doug was born in 1943 in Wilmington, and grew up in Sanford. He attended St. Clair Elementary School, Sanford Junior High, and Lee Senior, graduating from Broughton High School in Raleigh. He graduated from NC State University with honors in Electrical Engineering, and went on to serve as a Navy F-4 fighter pilot, flying hundreds of missions off the USS Independence aircraft carrier over North Vietnam. Upon returning stateside, he served with VX-4 in San Diego, the Navy's experimental squadron that was the precursor to the "Top Gun" school featured in movies and television. He was a decorated veteran, and a member of VFW.

Doug was appointed by chance to be "legal officer" for his squadron. He enjoyed the law and decided to leave the military to return to North Carolina to attend law school at UNC-Chapel Hill. He put himself through both college and law school with part-time jobs and by playing table tennis for bar bets. He could skunk any competitor in table tennis using the bottom of his Wallaby loafer, anddid so many times. He also made a miniature paddle a third the size of a regular table tennis paddle, and was also able to beat virtually anyone with it, to their disbelief. He went on to become state table tennis champion. He was also a chess champion and accomplished in contract bridge.

Doug finished law school in two and a half years, and discovered that a law degree was not necessary in order to take the bar exam. He petitioned the state Board of Bar Examiners to be allowed to take the bar exam prior to gradation, and did so, passing the bar and then finishing law school as a licensed attorney. The State Bar changed the rules allowing this shortly thereafter.

Upon receiving his law license, Doug served as an assistant prosecutor in the 11th Judicial District, comprised of Lee, Harnett, and Johnston counties, for a year and a half. He then entered private practice in Sanford, practicing primarily personal injury and medical malpractice law for over 25 years. He was one of the first attorneys in the state to specialize in this now-ubiquitous area of the law, and won numerous million dollar-plus settlements for injured people. One of his most famous cases resulted in the familiar "gates" which now automatically extend from the front of all school buses when children enter or exit, keeping them from entering the blind spot close to the front bumper, where they could be missed by the driver and run over, as occurred to Doug's client in that case. Doug was also licensed to practice law in Florida.

Doug was a North Carolina State Bar Certified Criminal Law Specialist, and a Civil Trial Specialist, certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He was a Fellow of the Roscoe Pound Institute, a diplomat of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and was named in the 1985-1986 Who's Who in American Law. He served as president of the 11th Judicial District Bar and the Lee CountyBar Association, and served as a board member of the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Doug encouraged those interested in learning the law, and current or former Sanford attorneys Hugh Moore, John Silverman, Beverly Basden, and Fred Webb, as well as Doug's son Zachary, all worked as law clerks for Doug prior to graduating from law school and starting their own legal careers.

Doug was very active in his community. He was a past member of Sanford Elks Club, Sanford Moose Lodge, the Triangle J. Council of Government, the Sanford-Lee County Airport Commission, and Jonesboro Rotary Club. One of his proudest accomplishments was acting as co-founder, spokesman, referee, and coach, along with Joel Budd, of the Sanford Area Soccer League, which now has thousands of participants. Doug was a member of the International Aerobatics Club, and flew as an advanced aerobatic pilot in competitions in his Pitts Special and CAP-20 aerobatic airplanes.

Doug was also proud to serve as the first republican ever elected to the Lee County Commission.

Doug is survived by his loving wife Gabrielle, brothers, H.C., and Robert, all of Sanford, sister Norma Horvitz of Ft. Lauderdale,

Florida, son, Zachary of Concord, NC; and grandsons, Chase, 5, Tate, 3 1/2, and Sawyer, 10 months, also of Concord.

Doug died of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy ("PSO"), a devastating brain disease of unknown origin, and the family asks that donations, in lieu of flowers or other gifts, be sent to the Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, 11350 McCormick Road, Suite 906, Hunt Valley, MD 21031, or to the memorial fund established in his name at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sanford.

Diane Riddick, Douglas Moretz, Sammy Brown, Linda Springs