Judge Eugene Mackall Childs, 96, of Anne Arundel County

»Information from the John M. Taylor Funeral Home website.

Eugene Mackall Childs, 96, a former associate and also Chief Judge of Maryland’s Fifth Judicial Circuit died on August 5, 2015. He was the son of Eugene P. Childs and Dryden Hodges Childs of Anne Arundel County both of whom predeceased him.

He was born in Baltimore, but lived in Anne Arundel County all of his life except for five years during World War II spent as an aeronautical engineer and second lieutenant in the Air Force Reserve, assigned to Pan American World Airways. While with Pan Am he was a maintenance engineer for Panair do Brasil for four years and a senior aeronautical engineer at La Guardia Field in New York for one year. He helped to design the first around-the-world scheduled commercial flight.

He attended Annapolis Grammar School and graduated from St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. Thereafter, he received a BME degree from the University of Virginia, and after resigning from Pan Am, he was awarded a JD degree from the University of Maryland. Thereafter, he became assistant to the vice president and general counsel of the Western Maryland Railway for one year. After that, he established a private law practice in Annapolis.

On July 1, 1965 Governor Tawes appointed him to the Circuit Judgeship for Anne Arundel, Howard, and Carroll Counties which position he held for 16 years.

Judge Childs married Elizabeth Blackmer of Salisbury, NC. The couple was married for 74 years. He is survived by his wife and three children: Elizabeth Dryden Murck of St. Simons Island, GA, Walter B. Childs, recently of Annapolis, but now of Cape Charles, VA, and Eugene M. Childs, Jr. of Richmond, VA, seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

He was president of the A. A. County Bar Association and the Southern Maryland Society. He was a vestryman of St. Anne’s Church for 14 years and a past senior warden of that church. He was the oldest standing member of the South River Club. He held membership in the American Bar Association.

His interests consisted of world traveling with his wife. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, boat building, boating, wood working, and flying.

A memorial service will be held Monday, Sept. 14, at 10 a.m. in All Hallows Episcopal Chapel, 864 West Central Ave. in Davidsonville. Inurnment to follow at All Hallows Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Friendship Fund of Ginger Cove, 4000 River Crescent Drive, Annapolis, MD 21401.