HAMILTON COUNTY — Judith Pitts Medearis died on July 10, 2026, in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Born on April 30, 1942, in Daisy, Tennessee, she was a lifelong resident of Hamilton County.

Medearis began her career in 1961 as a deputy clerk in the Hamilton County Circuit Court Clerk's office. She was promoted to Acting Chief Deputy in 1969 and later became Chief Deputy to Circuit Court Clerk. In 1978, she won the primary race for Circuit Court Clerk with over 50 percent of the vote and the general election with more than 70 percent of the vote. Voters reelected her five times.

She retired in 2002 after 38 years of service. During her tenure, she implemented a call-in system for jurors, becoming the first court clerk in Tennessee to do so. She received County Achievement Awards from the National Association of County Officials for innovation programs.

Medearis served two terms as Secretary/Treasurer of the County Officials Association of Tennessee beginning in 1982. In 1984, she was elected President of the State Court Clerks Association of East Tennessee and served as president of the Tennessee State Court Clerks Association in 1989. She was elected president of the National Association of Court Recorders and Clerks in 1990.

In 1989, she gained the Certified Public Administrators designation through a program offered by the University of Tennessee. She became a Certified Public Official in 1992. Governor Ned McWherter appointed her to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations in 1989, and Governor Don Sundquist reappointed her. She served on the commission for nine years.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Lyle Reid named her to the Committee on The Future of The Tennessee Judicial System in 1993, where she was the only Court Clerk on the 30-member committee. The committee issued its Final Report in 1996.

After her retirement, County Mayor Claude Ramsey appointed her to the Hamilton County Bicentennial Library Board, where she served until 2010. The County Officials Association of Tennessee named her Outstanding County Official in Tennessee in 1984. The National Association of Court Recorders and Clerks named her Outstanding Public Official of the Year in 1993. The State Court Clerks Association of East Tennessee recognized her in 2002 for her 24 years of service. In 2003, the Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association presented her with the Liberty Bell Award.

Medearis is survived by her husband, Harvey Dean Medearis IV, and her children, Gena Renee Gibson and Allen Haynes Medearis. She was preceded in death by her parents, Benton Haynes and Edna Lewis Pitts. Visitation will be held at Williamson and Sons Funeral Home on July 16, 2026, from 4-8 p.m. A private graveside service will be held on July 18, 2026, at Hamilton Memorial Gardens.