70 | DECEMBER 8 • 2022 

H

onorable was more 
than a title for Judge 
Jamie Wittenberg; it 
was his essence. His unsur-
passed integrity, steadfastness 
and kindheartedness perme-
ated 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 fear-
less 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. 
“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.
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. 
“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.”
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. 
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 skills earned him 
assignments to several high-
profile cases. 
In law school, he 
reconnected with Staci, 
whom he had met briefly in 
Chicago the year before. Staci 
was pursuing an advanced 
education degree at Wayne 

State, and the two developed a 
friendship that soon became a 
loving partnership filled with 
mutual support and respect. 
They were married in August 
2003.
After working as an 
assistant prosecutor in Wayne 
County, followed by a stint 
in Macomb County, Jamie 
decided to run for judge in 
Berkley’s 45-A District Court 
in 2008. Accompanied by 
his wife and his father, he 
knocked on every door in the 
district and won the election 
over candidates that included 
the city attorney and former 
Berkley mayor. 
As Jamie was about to 
begin his first term, Staci, 
who was pregnant with twins, 
developed a rare complication 
that necessitated bed rest for 

the next several months. It 
was a difficult situation that 
Jamie met without hesitation, 
coming home every day at 
lunch time to take care of his 
wife and 2- and 4-year-old 
daughters.
“Being the best husband 
and father he could be was 
the most important thing to 
him,” said his brother, Robert.
Family time was his most 
precious commodity. He 
loved exploring new places 
and revisiting old favorites, 
documenting every adventure 
with countless photos and 
videos. Memorable vacations 
included biking on Mackinac 
Island, hiking in Arizona, 
splashing through various 
water parks and visiting 
Disney World on multiple 
occasions. 

‘Simply the 
Best of Us’

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY

Judge Jamie Wittenberg