William Bruce Maloy, the only child of Joe Bruce and Ida Maloy, died on Sept. 26. He was 71.

Bruce was born August 2, 1953 in Pensacola, Fla. He spent his childhood moving throughout the Southeast, including years in Memphis, Tenn., Aiken, S.C., and Hendersonville, N.C.

After a childhood of moves, in 1975 he laid down permanent roots in Atlanta, where he lived until his death, except when spending time at his home on East Chop on Martha’s Vineyard.

He met his wife of 49 years, Leslie J. Bryan, while an exchange student at Hollins University during his junior year at Davidson. The two were married in 1975 and have one daughter, Whitney Maloy Griggs. Whitney, her wonderful husband, Brandon, and their two extraordinary children, Logan and Greyson, were his real joy and source of pleasure. While Bruce only had a few short years with his grandchildren, he made an impact on both that will guide them for the rest of their lives.

Bruce was an enthusiastic storyteller, with a sense of humor so dry it made the Sahara look like an oasis. He was a treasured husband, father, grandfather and friend who prized his family and friends above all. He and his daughter Whitney not only shared a special father-daughter bond, but also a special understanding of one another as two only children.

He was a scholar of World War II history and consumed new writings with enthusiasm and intention. His love of reading was legendary. His passion for history and reading led to an out-sized knowledge of trivia. His recollection of minutia — including the timely and surprising recall of “Regis Philbin” — holds a special place in family lore.

He graduated from Davidson College in 1975 and from the Emory University School of Law in 1978. He began practicing law in 1978 with The Law Project, a collective of progressively minded lawyers and staff. Over the course of his career, he was honored to be selected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, serving as president of the latter in 2013.

He also served as president of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and chair of the Federal Defenders Board.

His expertise in international extraditions led him to the classroom at Emory Law School where he taught transnational criminal law as an adjunct faculty member for nearly 20 years. Earlier this year, he retired from the practice of law as a partner in the white-collar criminal defense firm of Maloy Jenkins Parker.

His passion for fairness and justice led to some unpopular representations, including inmates on Georgia’s death row and in notorious prisons. He worked with the Southern Center for Human Rights to sue the Fulton County Commissioners so that prisoners would have a lawyer within days of their arrest instead of languishing in jail for months without representation. He also successfully sued the State of Georgia under the Americans with Disabilities Act on behalf of a blind state prisoner.

He was an enthusiastic traveler who welcomed every opportunity to see the world. He was a frequent visitor to London, both on business and for pleasure. He enjoyed family trips sailing in the British Virgin Islands, taking in the wonders of Australia and following the Big Five while on safari as part of an extraordinary trip to Africa.

His commitment to the rule of law took him to Dubai in 2006, where he traveled to teach Iraqi judges how to apply legal principles in the aftermath of the Iraq war.

A celebration of life will be held Oct. 11 at 4:30 p.m. at the Ansley Golf Club: 196 Montgomery Ferry Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30309.

Bruce’s family thanks everyone for their support throughout his illness and asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Georgia Justice Project.