The county’s legal community is mourning a man noted for his judicial acumen and diverse interests.

On Monday South Point-based attorney David Reid Dillon, 67, died in the Community Hospice Care Center in Ashland following an extended illness.

Reid, a South Point High School graduate, worked for The Tribune in the late 1970s as a reporter before going to The Ohio State University law school where he was editor of the law review and an honor graduate.

“He wrote several pieces that were advanced for the day, like women’s rights,” Sharon Bradshaw, law librarian at common pleas court, said. “He loved poetry and wrote poetry. You have to be in the genius category to understand it. He was a dear friend.”

Following his acceptance to the bar in 1980, Dillon began practicing in the county.

“He was a very good lawyer and worked very hard on behalf of his clients,” Ironton attorney Craig Allen said.

Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Charles Cooper worked with Dillon his entire career.

“I was always impressed with David’s grasp of complicated issues,” Cooper said. “He was probably one of the brightest thinkers that I worked with.”

Lawrence County Municipal Judge Donald Capper also knew Dillon as a colleague since the 1980s.

“He was very bright, a very kind person,” Capper said. “He was well-liked by other members of the bar. He was very much an advocate for his client.”

Dillon was also known for his variety of interests.

“He had a phenomenal knowledge of all things trivia,” Ironton attorney Mark McCown said. “He used to play trivia at all the local restaurants. As far as his occupation, he was exceptional at appellate work. He was a fantastic researcher and brief writer. He was definitely one of a kind.”

A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. today at Slack and Wallace Funeral Home in South Point.