Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Edward J. Tarver died Friday. He was 64.
Tarver was having complications from surgery he had in December, his law partner Ed Enoch said.
Tarver served as a state senator before he was appointed by President Obama in 2009 as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, a position he held for eight years.
A native of Killeen, Texas, Tarver was a former Army artillery officer who rose to the rank of captain.
He attended Augusta University and the University of Georgia School of Law. After graduation, he clerked for U.S. District Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr.
Longtime friend and Augusta businessman James Kendrick asked the community to pray for Tarver’s family.
“I have lost a friend, but the Augusta community has lost a servant,” Kendrick said.
Attorneys at the Hull Barrett law firm, where Tarver rose to partner, were deeply saddened by Tarver’s passing.
“Not only was he a cherished colleague, but a dear friend,” attorney David Hudson said in a statement.
Tarver’s civic engagement was extensive and included roles as a member of the Augusta Rotary Club, a director of Georgia Bank and Trust and as statewide president of Leadership Georgia.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to Ed’s family, where his two grown children are also practicing attorneys,” Hudson said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia issued a statement later Friday.
“We express our heartfelt condolences at the passing of former U.S. Attorney Edward J. Tarver,” U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg said.
“Mr. Tarver served his country in the U.S. Army and served Georgia as a state senator before his appointment as the first African-American U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia,” she said.
“Throughout his professional career, Mr. Tarver led with honor and integrity, demonstrating tireless devotion to justice and the law. Our thoughts are with all who loved and admired him.”
Former state Sen. J.B. Powell served alongside Tarver at the state capitol.
“Ed was a good, honest man. You could always trust what he told you,” Powell said.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the family. I know it seems like he’s been taken at an early age, but we’re not in control of that.”
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Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
