WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — Attorney William McKinley Hatchett (Bill)

made his transition on Feb. 12, 2023, after perfect completion of his earthly purpose in West Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

A skilled litigator, he became a member of the Michigan Bar in 1973. Bill practiced law for the entirety of his 50-year career at the nationally known law firm of Hatchett DeWalt Hatchett in Pontiac, Mich., focusing his practice on criminal defense, complex civil litigation, estate planning, workers compensation and immigration law. He was one of few lawyers to successfully practice multi-district litigation in Federal Courts throughout the United States and was a member of the esteemed American College of Trial Lawyers. Bill trained generations of lawyers, including his daughters Attorney Bonita Hatchett-Bodle and Attorney Khari Ana Hatchett. Bill was the first black scholarship player at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (“UALR”), after starting his college basketball career at College of the Ozarks. He was featured in the book “Untold Stories: Black Sports Heroes Before Integration,” published by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Bill earned his B.A. from University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1969, and his J.D. from the Wayne State University Law School in 1973, and has numerous awards and recognitions. Attorney Hatchett was honored by UALR at a ceremony in January of 2012. Attorney Hatchett’s Memorial Service in Little Rock, Ark., will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2023, 1 p.m., at New Hope Baptist Church, 1821 Edmonds Street, North Little Rock, Ark. 72117. Please visit forevermissed.com/whatchett for Bill’s full biography. Email bhatchett1214@gmail.com for more information. Local Funeral Home: Ruffin & Jarrett Funeral Home.