CHARLESTON – Kanawha Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit has died.
Tabit has been battling cancer for several months. She died September 29.
“With the heaviest of hearts, I am sharing news to our state and through community Facebook of the peaceful passing this afternoon of Judge Joanna Tabit,” friend and former Charleston City Councilman Andy Richardson posted on Facebook. “Family friends are heartbroken and devastated.”
Those in the Charleston area and the legal community were quick to praise Tabit.
"We lost a good friend today," Huntington attorney Marc Williams said. "Anyone who met Joanna Tabit was enveloped in her smile and positive energy. She was whip smart, funny, caring and dedicated to her job. ... She was one of the most positive and kind persons I've ever known. ...
"She loved her job, her family, her parish and her friends. And when cancer appeared earlier this year, she remained upbeat and positive. ...
"She had the ability to make everyone who encountered her feel better. And now she is gone. It is so unfair, but those of us who loved her will shed a tear and think of that positive smile."
Her Kanawha Circuit Court family were devastated.
“The Kanawha County circuit judges, magistrates, family court judges and their staffs, we all share the same sentiment – utter heartbreak,” Kanawha Chief Circuit Judge Tera Salango said.
Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva called Tabit "fair, balanced, smart, hard working and respectful."
"Judge Tabit was, as anyone will tell you, an amazing Judge," attorney Teresa Toriseva posted on Facebook. "A Judge’s Judge. But she was an even better human. She lived and loved fiercely. She gave so much of herself to others, always. This is a terrible loss for us all. May she rest in everlasting peace."
Charleston attorney Rusty Webb echoed that sentiment.
"I've known her since our freshman year at Marshall in 1979," he wrote on Facebook. "Wonderful human. She represented the best in all of us."
Charleston businessman Anthony Paranzino agreed.
"Joanna was a true friend and one of the best humans I will ever know," said Paranzino, known as Tony the Tailor.
Charleston attorney Rich Lindsey said he was heartbroken by the news.
"I did not know Joanna Tabit well," he said on Facebook. "But I knew her as a judge and as a fellow candidate for office. In both respects, she was fair, decisive, hardworking, outspoken, funny and community oriented. I know that she loved Charleston and her family. We've all lost out with her passing."
Longtime friend Brian Diller called Tabit "one of the best people I have ever known or will know."
"Joanna Tabit was simply Jo to me, but to West Virginia, she was an icon of strength, hope, progress and justice," Diller wrote on Facebook. "Her loss is immense. She leaves a legacy of service that will be the template for others to follow for generations to come.
"You are so loved, Jo. My heart breaks as I write to tell you thank you for the years of love and friendship."
West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice sent prayers to Tabit and her family.
“Judge Joanna Tabit was a beloved West Virginian and member of our judiciary family,” Walker said. “I always admired her commitment to her work, warm sense of humor, and generous spirit. She mentored so many younger lawyers — including me — and our hearts are heavy today.”
Justice John Hutchison said he was "greatly saddened by the news."
"I have known and worked with Judge Tabit for 30 years," he said. "I know her to have been one of the best trial attorneys West Virginia has ever seen, and I also known her as one of the finest judges that West Virginia has ever had. My sympathies clearly go to her very close family. My sympathies also to her colleagues.”
Justice Haley Bunn said she was "devastated."
"She was a wonderful colleague on the bench, former colleague in private practice, and friend," Bunn said. "My thoughts are with her family and the entire West Virginia legal community as we deal with this unexpected loss.”
West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin said Tabit approached her duty as a judge with a "rare mixture of legal knowledge, empathy and impartiality."
"Judge Joanna Tabit was a distinguished jurist, a beacon of hope and the embodiment of fairness," Pushkin said. "Her passing leaves a void that cannot easily be filled. Her legacy will no doubt continue to inspire future generations of legal professionals, public servants and community leaders.
"The West Virginia Democratic Party joins the entire state in grieving this tremendous loss. We will honor her memory by continuing to uphold the values of justice, integrity, and fairness that she championed throughout her distinguished career.”
Tabit was appointed to the bench in 2014 by former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin when Judge Paul Zakaib retired. She was elected to a full term in 2016. In 2018 and 2020, she unsuccessfully ran for positions on the state Supreme Court.
A native of Charletson, Tabit earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Marshall University in 1983 and her law degree from West Virginia University College of Law in 1986.
She began her legal career in 1986 as a law clerk to former Supreme Court Justice Thomas E. McHugh. Following her clerkship, she served as an Assistant and then as Deputy Attorney General of the Appellate Division in the Office of the Attorney General from 1989 to 1992 under the administrations of Attorneys General Roger Tompkins and Mario Palumbo. In 1992, Tabit joined the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, where she was a member attorney until October, 2014, when she was appointed to the bench.
Tabit also worked as an Adjunct Lecturer teaching Summer Appellate Advocacy for the WVU College of Law. She was active in professional and civic organizations. Among other things, she served as Co-Chairman of the Campaign for Legal Aid of West Virginia; served on the Board of Directors for the YWCA of Charleston; chaired the Access to Justice Foundation; served as a member of Board of Governors of the West Virginia State Bar; and served as a Commissioner on the City of Charleston Human Rights Commission.
At the time of her death, Tabit was chairwoman of the Mass Litigation Panel, a member of the Juvenile Justice Commission, and a former member of the Business Court Division.
While in private practice, Tabit was rated an AV lawyer by Martindale Hubbell and recognized by Chambers USA as a Leader in the Field with a specialty in commercial litigation. Additionally, she was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers in various practice areas. In 2009, Tabit received the “Outstanding Private Practice Attorney” award presented by the Women’s Law Caucus at WVU College of Law. She also was recognized as “Charleston’s Finest” by the Kentucky/West Virginia chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for her charitable work for the organization.
Funeral arrangements are pending.