George J. Fulkerson
Longtime Oakland County Bar Association member and past president, George J. Fulkerson passed away on May 4.
Born in 1926 in Harrisburg, Illinois, Fulkerson grew up in the hill country. He loved living on the farm, enjoying the open air, playing stick ball, and farming the land. His family moved to Pontiac to work in factories when the farmland became less productive.
Fulkerson always wanted to become a lawyer because of his father, a country preacher, who often told stories of Clarence Darrow, an attorney known for his ethics and willingness to help the common man. He began selling peanuts and newspapers on a corner in Pontiac to save the money to go to law school.
World War II intervened and he served in the Air Force in Japan during the Occupation. After the war, he met his wife, Ruth, and moved back to Michigan to attend law school at University of Detroit.
Fulkerson believed in the law and justice for every man. He was recognized as a “lawyers’ lawyer” and served as president of the OCBA from 1978-1979. He co-founded the law firm Dean & Fulkerson in Troy. He mentored many new attorneys and was beloved by all who knew him.
A private burial has been conducted, but in lieu of flowers or gifts, the family suggests a contribution to Jewish Hospice or Hospice of Michigan.
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Keith Erick Preston
Attorney Keith Erick Preston was killed in a car accident on May 3 while driving home from his cottage in Gladwin. He was 47 years old.
Preston grew up in Warren and graduated high school from Warren Woods Tower.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, and MBA from Wayne State University.
He graduated in the top third of his class from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1999. While in law school, he was an editor of the Michigan Business Law Journal and received numerous awards for his academic performance.
During his studies at U of M, he met his wife Jenny and they were married in 1994. After a couple of years, they moved to California, before moving back to Michigan and settling in Saline where he was very involved in his parish, St. Andrew the Apostle.
After working as a general counsel to several small businesses and as a tax and business consultant in public accounting, Preston was a founding partner of Huron Valley Law Associates PC in Ann Arbor.
He maintained a broad practice that spanned multiple areas, including Estate Planning, Bankruptcy, Tax & Business Consulting, Family Law and Criminal Law. His practice also extended to Contract Law (Including Insurance Law) and Landlord/Tenant Law.
Since 2010, he provided tax and business consulting services to various clients, both individual and corporate; and since 2011 also worked with the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s office, appearing in a variety of cases.
He was a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Washtenaw County Bar Association Criminal Law Section, Family Law Section, and Probate and Estate Administration Section.
Preston is survived by his wife Jennifer, sons Kevin and Alexander, and many other family members. He was predeceased by his father Richard and twin brother Kevin.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
