Lawrence Beck passed away March 14, 2022. Beck graduated from Texas Law in 1976, and began practicing at the firm Beck and Beck PC. He was board certified in business and consumer bankruptcy law and recognized for his pro bono work.
Jo Betsy Lewallen Szebehely died on March 16, 2022. Szebehely was a double longhorn and graduated from Texas Law in 1966. She served as a partner of Hearn, Knolle, Lewallen, Livingston, and Holcombe for nine years, before working in private practice. Szebehely offered numerous pro bono professional services and community volunteer services during her time as a lawyer.
Meto Miteff passed away on March 5, 2022. Miteff was a double Longhorn, having also graduated from UT with his bachelor’s degree . After graduation, Miteff served in the United States Army Reserves for six years. After working for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, Miteff established his own law firm, then later started a construction company.
James Bass, Jr., passed away Feb. 19, 2022, at the age of 89. He not only graduated from Texas Law, but he earned his bachelor’s degree from UT Austin as well. Bass, an Army veteran, served as Assistant District Attorney in Lubbock before moving into corporate law at Diamond Shamrock, then Maxus Energy.
Keith Tucker passed away on Feb. 13, 2022, at the age of 77. Tucker was a “double Longhorn,” earning both his undergraduate degree from UT as well as his Juris Doctor. A specialist in tax law, during his career, he worked as a partner and national insurance director at KPMG, vice president of corporate finance at Stephens Inc., and CEO of Waddell & Reed Inc.
Marion “Sandy” Sanford passed away on Jan. 27, 2022. In addition to his law degree, Sanford also spent his undergraduate years on the Forty Acres and served as the student body president. In his career, he worked as both a lawyer and an influential lobbyist in the Texas government. Sanford’s work impacted many areas of business, government, and political activity.
Joe Tom Easley passed away on Feb. 13, 2022, in Miami. A legal lecturer and LGBT and human rights activist, Easley’s legal work spanned a wide variety of areas including civil rights, Pentagon policy, and drug company price fixing. He was the board co-chair of the national non-profit organization Lambda Legal Defense, and served in a leadership role with the Miami Design Preservation League.
Patrick Cunningham Oxford passed away on Feb. 13, 2022, at the age of 79. Wile at Texas Law, he served as the managing editor of the Texas Law Review and was a member of the Friar Society. After graduating, Oxford worked for Bracewell LLP and specialized in business transactional practice, becoming a managing partner and leading the opening of the firm’s New York City office. Oxford continued to serve the University of Texas, with positions on the Board of Regents and as Chairman of the Health Affairs Committee.
Joe Barnett Cannon passed away on Feb. 8, 2022. Cannon served in the state legislature as a representative for Limestone, Falls, and Freestone counties. Cannon also served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Texas and was recognized as an Outstanding Fifty Year Lawyer by the State Bar of Texas in 2010. At Texas Law, he served as Mid-Law Class President, was a Texas Goodfellow, and was recognized by the Supreme Court of Texas as the Outstanding Advocate in the moot court finals.
Thomas Hanna passed away on Feb. 6, 2022. Hanna worked as Assistant District Attorney and District Attorney for Jefferson County. Hanna served as the Chairman for the Legislative Committee, the Executive Director of the State Bar of Texas in Austin, and on the Board of Texas Lawyers Insurance Exchange. He was recognized by the State Bar of Texas for Fifty Years of Outstanding Service in 2016, received the Blackstone Award, and was bestowed a lifetime achievement honor by the Jefferson County Bar Association.
Ellis J. Ortego passed away on Jan. 27, 2022 at the age of 79. Ortego practiced law for 52 years, specializing in municipal law, family law, probate law, real estate law, and and estate planning. He started his own law firm, which later became a family business once his wife and daughter joined. Ortega also served on the Grievance Committee for the State Bar of Texas.
Robert Gene “Rusty” Russell passed away on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. Russell graduated from law school in 1970, served in the Air Force, and had a long legal career, including serving as an administrative law judge for the State of Texas and teaching law at a local college.
Wardlow Lane passed away at age 81 on Jan. 13, 2022 after a lengthy illness. After graduating from law school in 1968, Lane worked as an assistant attorney general under Texas attorney general John L. Hill. He later opened his own practices in Center, Texas and Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
David Ray Finney, former Tarrant County attorney and legislator, passed away on Jan. 18, 2022 at age 88. Finney earned his Bachelor of Laws in 1958, followed by a three-year stint in the Air Force as Assistant Staff Judge Advocate. He worked as an assistant city attorney for the City of Fort Worth and at a number of small law firms. Finney also represented Tarrant County in the House of Representatives from 1962 until 1977.
John G. Minniece passed away on Jan. 10, 2022 at the age of 88. He was a double Longhorn who graduated with his Bachelor of Laws in 1960, after serving in the Marine Corps. Minniece practiced oil and gas, banking, and real estate law.
C. Kenneth Roberts, former Chair of the UT Law School Foundation, Life Trustee, colleague and friend, passed away on Jan. 9, 2022. Roberts earned his JD in 1951 and his Master in Law in 1953. He then served in the US Army before a long, distinguished career in law. He rose to be Vice President and General Counsel of Exxon Corporation and retired in 1995. He was honored for his service to the legal community as Texas Law’s Outstanding Alumnus in 1993. Memorial contributions may be made to The Cary & Kenneth Roberts Endowment for Excellence Scholarship.
Marvin Boyd Shannon learned golf after he lost his eyesight at age 13. He made history by winning the world’s blind golf championship at Rockwood golf course in Fort Worth, Texas in 1941.
Perry Joe Radoff, age 81, of Houston, Texas died on Jan. 3, 2022, after a prolonged illness. He began his legal career at Dow Cogburn & Friedman before going into private practice. Radoff was board certified in the practice of Probate and Real Estate law and worked at Bernstein Radoff Trachtenberg and Sarofim for the remainder of his legal career.
Colonel Herbert Green died on Dec. 27, 2021 in North Richland Hills, Texas. Green served over 27 years in the U.S. Army, culminating his military judicial career as Chief Judge, 3rd Judicial Circuit, Fort Hood, Texas until he retired in 1994. He took on a second career as an Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration until his retirement in 2019.
John Blaine McAdams died on Dec. 25, 2021 at age 74. After graduation, McAdams became an associate with the Strasburger & Price law firm in Dallas. Later, he practiced law with the Vinson & Elkins and Kelly, Hart & Hallman law firms. His career passion became representing major league baseball teams.
Henry Paul Giessel, age 94, passed away on Dec. 16, 2021 in El Paso, Texas. He served in World War II in the United States Army before entering law school where he was editor of The University of Texas Law Review. He practiced in Houston for over 60 years and distinguished himself as a trial lawyer not only in Texas, but also across the country.
The late Zachary Barker Chittick has been honored and memorialized with an endowment fund in his name to benefit Valley Youth House in Pennsylvania.
The Hon. Sarah Weddington—whose work as a trailblazing lawyer, beloved professor, and dedicated public servant has left a formidable legacy—passed away the morning of Dec. 26, 2021 at age 76. Weddington, who at 26, just over three years out of law school, successfully argued Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Paul Heermans Smith passed away on Dec. 10, 2021. After graduation from law school, Paul enlisted in the US Navy, and qualified for Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. For his last year of active duty, he was assigned to the Fleet Training Center in San Diego, CA where he taught Military Justice. After his assignment in San Diego, instead of returning to El Paso, he led his family to San Antonio where he joined the law firm of Cox, Patterson & Smith on Feb. 1, 1955. He practiced law with the same firm and its successors until his retirement in 2010.
Donald Lawrence Davis, 82, passed away peacefully on Dec. 8, 2021 in Austin, Texas. After college, he declined an offer to try out for the Baltimore Colts, and instead earned a JD at Texas Law. He clerked for Justice Mead Griffith at the Texas Supreme Court before joining the firm of Byrd, Davis, Eisenberg and Clark in 1966. He stayed with the firm for the duration of his 53 year legal career. At the age of 28, he argued the landmark case of Powell v. Texas in the United States Supreme Court. At that time, he was the youngest attorney to have appeared and argued a case before the Supreme Court.
Charles Wayne Chapman passed away on Dec. 7, 2021. Chapman was a lawyer for 42 years and was a former district attorney in Hays County, Texas, elected by the community. He taught at Southwest Texas State University for 14 years. He later moved to the Lower Rio Grande Valley and continued to work as a university professor for 21 years.
Colonel Joel Oxley has passed away at his home in Niceville, Fla. on Aug. 2, 2021. After law school, he spent the next 29 years as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force.
William Junia Hudspeth, Jr. passed away on Nov. 28, 2021. Upon graduation from law school, Hudspeth stayed in Austin and went into banking, starting as a cashier at Capital National Bank. He worked his way up, serving as Vice President and Trust Officer of Austin National Bank and head of Republic Bank’s Trust Department. In 1987 he founded Austin Trust Company after Texas law was changed to authorize the incorporation of independent trust companies. Austin Trust Company is the first company to be chartered under the new law.
Danette Dee Alvarado Broome, age 51, passed away on June 29, 2020. The double Longhorn was a highly respected criminal and family law attorney and a passionate advocate for abused children, practiced in both the public and private sector. In 2003, Alvarado opened the Law Office of Danette D. Alvarado, specializing in criminal, juvenile, family law and child protective services cases. In 2003, Danette was admitted into the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law.
Patrick “Pat” A. Myers passed away on Nov. 29, 2021. After serving his country in the U.S. Air Force in Germany, Myers completed law school. He returned to Jacksboro, Texas in 1960 where he was elected Jack County Attorney, a post he held for over two decades. Pat had interests in oil, gas and real estate but his profession was the law. He actively practiced in Jacksboro for almost 60 years until his (semi) retirement in 2018.
J. Walker Holland passed away on Nov. 19 2021. After graduating law school Holland was hired by the law firm of Wynn, Brown, Mack, Renfro and Thompson. After making partner there, Holland joined Boswell & Tracey, the firm that later became Holland, Johns & Penny. His wife Margaret later merged her law firm, Albert & Holland, with Walker’s firm. Walker practiced corporate, real estate and transactional law.
Steven Clifton James passed away on Nov. 13, 2021 after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis. James was a dedicated attorney and practiced law for 42 years. He spent most of his career as a solo practitioner in El Paso. In addition to his active trial practice, James also won multiple cases in the Supreme Court of Texas. He served as Section Representative to the State Bar Board of Directors, Chair of the Texas Bar College, President of the El Paso Bar Association, and Chair of the State Bar Consumer & Commercial Law Section.
Jack Sargent passed away on Nov. 22 2021. Shortly after marriage and graduation from law school, Sargent was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served two years as a medic based at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Upon leaving the military he began a career in banking which was influenced by his father Howard Lane Sargent who was President of Santa Barbara National Bank. He left the banking business in 1978 and joined Burton Patterson and Bob Glanville forming Patterson, Sargent, and Glanville law firm specializing in Estate and Probate Law until he retired in 1992.
David Chappell died on Nov. 18 at the age of 78. Chappell practiced law for many years before teaming up with the consulting firm BC Collaborations. He was served on the Fort Worth City Council representing District 9 in 1989-1993 and was a member of the council’s Economic Development Committee. He served as chair of the board of The State Bar of Texas and of its foundation.
Charles “Charlie” Aycock passed away on Nov. 9, 2021 following a lengthy illness. After earning his J.D., Aycock worked as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas for two years. He was partner in the private practice with Aldridge, Harding & Aycock, served as Parmer County Attorney, and was a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. In 2004, he retired from private law practice and was appointed to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
The Honorable Duval County Judge Gilbert N. Saenz passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 16, 2021. After earning his J.D., he served in the US Navy Judge Advocate General Corps. He spent his career working toward justice for all as a JAG Officer, public school teacher, school board member, attorney, and Duval County Judge. He was a member and active supporter of numerous social and charitable organizations.
Martin O. Siegmund has passed away on Nov. 3, 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas. Siegmund was a Fort Worth municipal judge for approximately five years and a former TCU professor. He also served on the Aledo school board, was a former Fort Worth United Fund Agency president, and a member of the Masonic Lodge (Shriner).
Charles “Chuck” William Hoffman has passed away Feb. 21, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hoffman was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army He spent most of his career working as a patent and corporate lawyer in Indianapolis.
William “Bill” Cook Fielder passed away Nov. 4, 2021 at age 83. Fielder was active in the Civil Rights movement as a student and then practiced law for over 50 years, helping many people in Austin and Lockhart. Passionate about helping people that were vulnerable and under-resourced, he worked in criminal law, juvenile law, probate, guardianship, and estate law.
Pike Powers passed away after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Powell served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives in the ’70s, representing Jefferson County. He then went on to serve as chief of staff to Texas Gov. Mark White in the ’80s. He was considered a trailblazer for Austin’s tech scene. Powers’ impact on Austin’s economy stemmed from his law career that had him structuring mega deals as he executed economic development in Austin as a Fulbright & Jaworski lawyer (now Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP).
Nancy Gail Black Sagafi-Nejad, 83, passed away on Sept. 27, 2021. She earned a Masters in art history and served in the Peace Corps teaching. Later, she graduated with her J.D. and worked as an employment discrimination and civil rights lawyer for the government and in private practice. Sagafi-Nejad wrote a book, Friends at the Bar: A Quaker View of Law, Conflict Resolution, and Legal Reform (SUNY Press, 2011), exploring how Quaker values can contribute to improvements in legal practice and the impact of the law on society.
Charles “Charlie” Cheever, Jr. has passed away at 93. Cheever graduated from West Point in 1949 and served as an Air Force pilot instructor and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve. After graduating law school, Cheever joined the San Antonio’s Broadway Bank in 1957 to work alongside his father. He was elected President of the bank in 1961, Chairman & CEO in 1982, and Chairman Emeritus upon his retirement in 2005. He was elected to the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame, the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame, and the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
Robert Calvert Patterson passed away on Sept. 22, 2021. Patterson was born in West Point, MS. He worked for the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Texas from 1962-1966 and then went into private practice in San Antonio.
Jeffery Scott Mecom died on Oct. 12, 2021. Mecom taught business law in Estonia at the Estonian Business School in Tallinn. During his time in the Baltics, he visited several eastern European countries, Scandinavia and Russia. He had a successful career as an attorney for both private and public companies. He also served as a mentor in the Texas Law Mentoring Program.
Jorge A. Solis passed away on Oct. 8, 2021 at the age of 70. A former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Solis was a former prosecutor, a judge, a mentor for dozens of lawyers, and once considered a candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court. Solis began his legal career as an assistant criminal district attorney for the Taylor County District Attorney’s Office in Abilene, Texas and went into private practice in 1981. He was then elected as the first Hispanic District Attorney for Taylor County, serving in that role for five years. He was a special prosecutor for the Narcotics Task Force in 1988 before running for judge. In lieu of flowers, the family requests for memorial gifts to be made to The Judge Jorge A. Solis Memorial Scholarship Fund at UTLSF.org/solis.
Starling Thomas “Tom” Morris died Monday, Oct. 4, 2021 at age 101. Morris entered Texas Law in 1939 and paused to serve in the U.S. Navy Air. He returned to graduate in 1946 and then taught at the law school for two years. In 1948 he began his law practice and went on to join the firm of Gibson, Ochsner and Little where he practiced from 1950 to 2003. He then practiced with the Underwood Law Firm until his time of death. His law practice brought many achievements and honors. Perhaps his greatest achievement was his victory in 1966, in the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark case of Graham v. Deere, which established the law of non-obvious subject matter in patent cases, and remains the law today after 55 years.
Charles Randolph Curson passed away in October 2021 at his home in Georgetown, Texas. The double Longhorn began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in Houston, Texas and then went on to work as a Real Estate Attorney for Mitchell Energy and then National Convenience Stores before retiring. He was a member of the Coast Guard before enlisting in the Navy as an Officer serving in the Judge Advocate General’s Corp.
Charles Michael “Mickey” Matkin passed away on Aug. 28, 2021, at the age of 84. Matkin practiced law both as a partner and in private practice in Houston and, after moving to Spring, Texas, in the Champions area. He also served in the Texas Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1961 through 1969.
Kenneth “Ken” Hawari passed away on Aug. 22, 2021 at the age of 62 in Houston, Texas. He was a double Longhorn and worked 17 years for Hughes and Luce Law Firm, in Dallas, Texas, where he had become a partner. He became in-house counsel for ANS Medical Device in Plano, Texas, and later served as board director for private companies. He retired to his beloved home in Taos, New Mexico.
James “Jim” McCartney died at age 91, on Sept. 18, 2021. Post graduation from Texas Law, Jim joined the law firm of Vinson & Elkins and maintained an office there until the end of his life. The law business also brought him before federal and state regulatory agencies where he was involved in landmark cases. He loved the legal profession and came by it naturally. His father, grandfathers, great grandfather, as well as his uncle, had all been lawyers. He endowed a Lectureship at The University of Texas Law School in the name of his great uncle A. W. Terrell.