The Honorable William H. Platt, 85, died surrounded by his family Oct. 21, 2025.

He was the beloved husband of Maureen (Hart) Platt for 55 years.

Born in Emmaus, he was the son of the late Henry and Genevieve (McElroy) Platt.

He was a graduate of Emmaus High School (1957), Dickinson College (B.A., 1961) and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law (J.D., 1964).

He served in the United States Army Military Police Corps from 1964 to 1966. He returned home to join the private practice of Howard Yarus, Esquire from 1967 through 1976, a firm which ultimately became Yarus & Platt. During that time, he was appointed and served as Lehigh County’s Chief Public Defender.

In 1976, at the age of 36, he was appointed by the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas to be the district attorney where he served as Lehigh County’s first full-time DA until 1991.

In 1991, he opened the Allentown office of Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott, a Pittsburgh-based national law firm, where he was the coordinator of its White Collar Crime Practice Group.

In 1996, he was sworn in as Judge of the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas where he served until December 2010. He was named President Judge of that court twice.

In January 2011, he was selected by the Justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve on the Pennsylvania Superior Court. He served on that court until Dec. 31, 2018.

In 2023, he was honored by the Penn Carey School of Law, receiving the James Wilson Award for Lifetime Achievement.

He was a member of the Lehigh and Pennsylvania Bar Association for 52 years and served the Bar Association of Lehigh County as a longtime member of the board of directors and as its president in 2016.

He was the chairman of the Criminal Procedural Rules Committee of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania 1986 to 1992 and a member of the committee beginning in 1982.

He was a past president and lifetime honorary board member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, a past president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys’ Association, a member of the National District Attorneys’ Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Education Committee of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges and the Lehigh County Bar Association.

He was a member of the executive board of the Minsi Trails Council, B.S.A.

His devotion to public service and the practice of law did not define him. He was even more passionate about his family, especially his wife.

He was an avid fan of cars and the Phillies. He was a longtime season ticket holder during the regular season and spring training in Clearwater, Fla.

He is survived by his wife; daughter, Meredith Platt Molchany (Greg); sons, William II (Susan) and James; grandchildren, Sydney, Mackenzie, Brody and Emma; brother, Ken (Judy); sister, Gail (Fred); nephews, Mike, Steve and Mark; niece, Jenny.

A memorial will be held 4 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Historic Lehigh County Courthouse, 501 Hamilton St, Allentown.

Please consider a donation to a charity of your choice.

Schantz Funeral Home, P.C., Emmaus is handling arrangements.