The Hon. H. Gregory Williams returned Friday to the second floor courtroom at the Edgartown courthouse, where he presided for a decade as first justice, for a ceremony to unveil his portrait.
Judge Williams retired in May. The crowd in the packed courtroom Friday included five of his colleagues from the district court bench, family members, and many of the attorneys and police officers who often appeared before Judge Williams.
Martin (Skip) Tomassian Jr., president of the Martha’s Vineyard Bar Association, and the Hon. J. Thomas Kirkman, who now presides over the district court, offered high praise for Judge Williams. Then he stood by while his wife and daughter unveiled the portrait.
Judge Williams spoke briefly about some of his retirement life, which included a recent trip to Italy. Dressed in a jacket, tie and jeans, he cracked up the room with his wry humor, but also revealed a bit of emotion.
“I had a lot more jokes,” he said. “But I’m a little freaked out about this, more than I knew.”
The brief ceremony ended when the portrait was hung in a prominent spot on the back wall of the second floor courtroom.
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