Judge Jamie Wittenberg
Obituary: Judge Jamie Wittenberg | The Detroit Jewish News
“Simply the Best of Us”
“Honorable” was more than a title for Judge Jamie Wittenberg; it was his essence. His unsurpassed integrity, steadfastness and kind-heartedness permeated every aspect of his life, from his career as a highly respected jurist to his most treasured role as a devoted husband, father, brother and son. After a long and fearless battle against a deadly form of brain cancer, Jamie Wittenberg passed away on Nov. 20, 2022, at his Berkley home with his family by his side. He was 48.
Obituary: Judge Jamie Wittenberg | The Detroit Jewish News
“Judge W,” as he was fondly called by his colleagues at the 44th District Court, was known for his fairness and compassion, in and out of the court room. He helped many people who appeared before him find solutions to better their lives, and he did so without taking credit or expecting praise.
Obituary: Judge Jamie Wittenberg | The Detroit Jewish News
As a husband and father, his greatest joy was spending time with his wife, Staci, and their four daughters. Fatherhood came naturally to him, and he embraced every aspect, from changing diapers and reading bedtime stories to constructing backyard obstacle courses and teaching the girls how to ride a bike. He went to Tamarack “Dad and Me” camp, not once, but three times.
Obituary: Judge Jamie Wittenberg | The Detroit Jewish News
“You name it, he did it, and he did it all with love and attention,” Staci said. “He was the hands-on dad every child would want.”
Obituary: Judge Jamie Wittenberg | The Detroit Jewish News
Jamie grew up in Huntington Woods, the son of Howard and Mollie Wittenberg and the older brother of Jodie and Robert. Encouraged by his father, he learned to play basketball, baseball, tennis and golf. At Berkley High School, he was a wide receiver on the Berkley Bears football team and was voted “best personality” by his classmates. He honed his work ethic from an early age, delivering newspapers and spending summers as a camp counselor.
Obituary: Judge Jamie Wittenberg | The Detroit Jewish News
After graduating from Indiana University in Bloomington, Jamie returned home to attend law school at Wayne State University. He had a photographic memory that allowed him to absorb classroom lectures and remember complex legal principles, often without opening a textbook. As a law student, he interned in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office, where his impressive legal…