Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge John A. Zottola, who founded the Veterans Court program and was revered for his compassion, died on Monday.

Zottola was 63 and lived in Fox Chapel. A graduate of Central Catholic High School who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Zottola also earned his law degree from Pitt, graduating in 1982.

Before taking the bench following the 1993 election, Zottola worked in the crimes against persons unit in the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office. He also served as the chair of the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment.

President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark said in a statement that Zottola will be missed by his colleagues.

“Judge Zottola was a dedicated public servant who served the court and the citizens of Allegheny County with honor and integrity for more than 26 years,” she said. “He will be remembered for his intelligence, fairness and even temperament.”

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski worked with Zottola initially in the DA’s office and appeared before him as an attorney, before they became colleagues on the bench.

Borkowski said Zottola was a smart, fair judge who related well to victims and their families.

“As both an attorney and as a judge, he showed a lot of empathy and care in whatever he was doing,” Borkowski said. “There’s a saying, ‘Temper justice with mercy.’ You couldn’t find a better example of that than John A. Zottola.”

Zottola oversaw Mental Health Court beginning in 2006 before participating in the team that created the Veterans Court program in 2010.

Veterans Court allows veterans who find themselves facing criminal charges a chance to go through a probationary program that diverts them from possible incarceration into probation. Defendants facing serious criminal charges, like homicide or rape, are not eligible.

During their time on probation, the participants, who often have drug, alcohol or underlying mental health conditions, would have intensive supervision, along with a treatment plan to help them recover.

Veterans Court, his friends and colleagues said, is where Zottola cemented his legacy as a champion in the community.

“I will always remember Judge Zottola as leading with kindness and compassion,” said Dan Kunz, supervising attorney at the Duquesne University School of Law’s Veterans Clinic. “He listened, and he was very understanding.”

Kunz worked with Zottola on the program for more than 10 years.

“I recall at graduation, more than once, where a graduating veteran would go shake Judge Zottola’s hand and tell the judge that he saved his life.”

District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., who went to high school with Zottola, said his death leaves a void on the bench and in the community.

“There is no doubt that his work leading Veterans Court has saved a large number of lives and assisted in putting veterans, who have given so much to this country, on the path to recovery,” Zappala said in a statement. “John took the time to know everyone who appeared before him. When he addressed defendants, he always sought to encourage them to make a positive change not only for themselves, but for their family and friends.”

Rocky Bleier, the former Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers running back and Vietnam War veteran, was a regular speaker at the Veterans Court program graduation ceremonies over the years.

“Veterans Court gives people the opportunity for a second chance — a second chance of straightening up their lives or overcoming a record that could be expunged,” he said. “That was John’s passion, and what he brought to the court system. … We will miss him because of his leadership in that capacity.”

Arrangements have not yet been released. A cause of death was not released.

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