CUMMING — Memorial services were held Friday for a long-serving local attorney and community leader who recently passed away at age 96.

According to his obituary, James Leon Boling was a lifelong resident of Cumming who was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1946. He began practicing in Forsyth County the following year, originally as a single-person law practice that grew into the firm of Boling Rice LLC

“Leon was an old school trial attorney,” said Zack Rice, his law partner. “He was ethical, treated everybody with respect, treated his fellow members of the bar with respect. He was an excellent trial attorney. You did not want to try a case in Forsyth County against Leon Boling.

“He had an excellent reputation and we lawyers who followed him benefitted from the reputation that he created back many years ago.”

Boling, who died on Dec. 31, was also a prominent member of the community and a founder of the former Forsyth County Bank and Sawnee View Memorial Gardens, where he was interred. He was also involved in numerous community service organizations.

“He was a real pillar of the community,” Rice said. “He was involved in a lot of charitable organizations, like United Way, Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, Family Haven. He was really generous. He actually did Meals on Wheels for seniors. He was a very giving person.”

Rice said Boling was no stranger to loss in his personal life, especially concerning his immediate family.

“He’s had a tremendous amount of tragedy in his life,” Rice said. “He had an unfortunate series of events where he buried all four of his children and his wife, and he’s buried a grandchild and a great-grandchild.”

His immediate survivors include seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Boling was recognized by the state bar in 2006 for 60 years of service and received the Supreme Court Chief Justice Award for Community Service in 1998.

Although Boling had not actively practiced law in about 20 years, Rice said he will still be missed at the office.

“He was always here. Even though he wasn’t practicing, he still came to the office when he could.”