Billy Flynn “Bill” McGraw passed away on Sept. 20, 2021. McGraw spent two years in the U.A. Navy, stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois. His law degree launched his legal and business career, first as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Joe Fisher in the United States District Court in Beaumont, and then eventually moving into private practice in Jasper.
Michael Charles O’Connor passed away on Sept. 13, 2021 in Houston. O’Connor graduated first in his class from The University of Texas School of Law, with the distinction of Chancellor and Order of the Coif. He began his legal career at Vinson and Elkins before starting his own law firm in Houston, where he continued to practice law for over 35 years.
Chris Montez of Plano, Texas passed away on August 30, 2021 at the age of 46. After law school, he served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Bill Vance of the 10th District Court of Appeals in Waco, Texas. Montez then worked at the Law Firm of Darrell Keith, PC and later became a partner at the Dallas firm of Thomas, Feldman & Wilshusen, LLP (TFW). After 14 years at TFW, he started his own practice, The Law Firm of Christopher D. Montez, PLLC. Montez was a member of the ABA Forum on Construction Law and served as General Counsel to the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA).
Robert “Bob” H. Stanley was known for creatively using film to give the historical context of law to enrich students’ perspective of current legal decisions. From 1982–87, he served in several positions at Brown University. He served as visiting assistant professor of history at the University of New Hampshire from 1987–88, and then spent a year teaching at the University of Texas at Arlington. In 1989, Stanley began his career at Chico State and became an important asset to the legal studies program. He remained a member of the Texas State Bar all his life.
Bobby Joe Waggoner passed away at the age of 75. He practiced law in San Antonio with The McCamish Law Firm, and finished a long career with The San Antonio Housing Authority in 2016. Waggoner was a member of The San Antonio Bar Association.
James F. Gilbert, passed away on Aug. 27, 2021 at age 89. He has resided in Dallas for 60 years. For most of his career, Gilbert practiced with the law firm of Kilgore & Kilgore, where he specialized in corporate and securities law. He proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1956 with the rank of 1st Lieutenant where he was stationed in Germany.
Douglas Neill Carnes passed away on August 12, 2021. Carnes practiced law in Austin for 30 years, his latest position being staff attorney for the Travis County Juvenile Probation Department. He loved traveling, studying history, and painting.
James “Jim” Larkin passed away on August 25, 2021. He served in the US Army 1957 – 1960, primarily stationed in Berlin. Larkin served as Harris County DA for 28 years until his retirement in 1993. During his career, he performed Administrative duties and served as Chairman of the Hiring Committee for 19 years where he watched hundreds of young lawyers advance through the DA’s office. After retiring as DA, Larkin became a visiting judge for the Harris County for 17 years.
Joe Beck Hairston passed away August 30, 2020 in Austin, at age of 82. Joe served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy from 1961 to 1964. Joe practiced school law over five decades, most notably with the firm he co-founded in Austin, now known as Walsh Gallegos. While working as a staff attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Joe was a principal author of the TASB Policy Reference Manual, a legally based management manual for Texas public school districts. He was also an avid traveler, having visited more than 100 countries on 6 continents.
Susan Jo (Norris) Haney died on Aug. 12, 2021. Susan opened her own law firm in 2001, where she was first joined by her oldest daughter, Amber, as a paralegal, and later joined by her younger daughter, Caitlin, as an attorney. Susan loved to refer to the trio as the Haney Legal Dream Team. Susan gave her time to numerous Austin organizations and was known for her laugh, passion, and willingness to help others.
Arthur “Art” L. Goolsbee passed away July 19, 2021 in Abilene. He joined the Marines and served four years as an air traffic controller before going to Baylor University and then Texas Law. He served as Director of Finance and internal legal counsel at Utility Trailer Manufacturing until his retirement in 2004. In 2008 the Reverend Arthur Goolsbee was ordained an Episcopal Deacon. He served his community as an Executive Board Member of United Way of Abilene, an Associate Municipal Court Judge, a Teen Court Judge and a volunteer at the State Supported Living Center.
Rodney Jack Sheppard, 83, died peacefully at home surrounded by family, August 1, 2021, in Austin. A graduate of Texas Law, he served in the Army JAG Corps before entering private practice. He briefly served as general counsel to Armadillo World Headquarters.
Robert Sellers Weatherall passed away in Houston on July 30, 2021. During the Korean War, he studied Russian at the Army Language School in Monterey, CA. Upon graduation, he served as a Russian language intercept operator in various remote locations around the globe. After law school, he joined Andrews Kurth Law Firm in 1957, where he was a partner for over 30 years.
John Edward Eckel, Jr. passed away on July 30, 2021. He served in the Air Force Reserves, served as Director of the State Bar of Texas, and had a legal career that exceeded 50 years. He was also named as a Texas Super Lawyer from 2003 through 2012.
Martin Tyckoski passed away on July 21, 2021. Tyckoski received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in accounting before graduating from Texas Law. After law school, he was a sole practitioner in Flint, MI specializing in probate law for nearly 50 years, eventually transitioning his practice to his friend and colleague, Eric Mead.
Jim Branton passed away peacefully at home on July 19, 2021. After graduating from law school, he served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force where he was a judge advocate, then later went on to a career in private law practice. He co-founded the law firm of Branton, Hall, Rodriguez, Cruz, where he focused on personal injury litigation. He served as president of the State Bar of Texas from 1994 to 1995.
William J. Gibbons passed away on July 1, 2021 in San Antonio at the age of 90. He flew 58 combat missions in Korea, flew 206 combat missions in Vietnam, having an illustrious career in the Air Force. Upon his retirement from the Air Force, William fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. He embarked on a second career in the field of criminal prosecution, with several years of service as a Justice of the Peace in Caldwell County.
Eva Janice “Jan” Summer passed away on June 25, 2021. As a founding member of the Center for Women in Law, Jan played an important role in providing scholarships for aspiring young women law students. Jan was also the founding director of The Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at The University of Texas School of Law.
James Crain passed away on July 1, 2021. Crain began his professional career as a Partner at Jenkens & Gilchrist Law Firm, where he headed the Energy Section. Starting in 1989, he served as President of Marsh Operating Company. In 1997 he became a general partner of Valmora Partners LP and later joined Yorktown Partners. Crain also served on the Board of Directors for many public energy companies, including Enlink Midstream, Approach Resources, Crusader Energy Group and others. Crain earned his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Juris Doctorate degrees at UT Austin. He was an editor of the Texas Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif.
Joseph Pool passed away on June 29, 2021. He studied economics at Stanford University, earned his law degree from Texas Law and returned to Amarillo to begin his law practice. He served as trustee of the estate of his grandfather, J.T Sneed, Jr. Pool is descended from a long line of cattle ranchers and held that passion as well.
Justice John Sharp Anderson died on June 22, 2021 in Houston. Anderson served in the 71st Brigade (Airborne), Texas National Guard and in the U.S. Army Reserve. Following Law School, he worked as an attorney in the energy business until 1989, where he left to join Anderson, Brown and Jones where he practiced law with his father, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He later ran successfully for a position on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals and was sworn in on January 1, 1995, where he served for 17 years.
Harry Swearingen passed away peacefully on June 14, 2021. Harry attended Texas Law and earned the highest score on that year’s bar exam. After law school, he returned to San Antonio and joined the law firm of Brewer, Matthews, Nowlin, and Macfarlane, which, through various mergers over the years, eventually became Cox & Smith (now Dykema). He spent his entire career at the same firm – more than 60 years. Swearingen also served in leadership positions with many local not-for-profits.
James D. Hornfischer died June 2, 2021 at age 55 after a lengthy illness. He was an Austin writer, naval historian, book editor, and literary agent. The author of several books focusing on the U.S. Navy, Hornfischer recently had been honored with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award for four books: The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy’s Finest Hour; Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the USS Houston, FDR’s Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors; Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal; and The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945. After earning his MBA and JD at UT Austin, he founded Hornfischer Literary Management.
Bud Martin passed away on June 6, 2021, in Midland, Texas. He began his law career with the Hinkle Law Firm in Roswell, NM, in 1967. After becoming Partner, he moved to Midland office and served as Managing Partner for many years. Martin was past president of the Midland County Bar Association, former Chairman of the Midland City Planning and Zoning Commission, and served as Local Director of The University of Texas Law School Alumni Association.
Paul Anton Schweizer passed away on June 14, 2021. After graduating from law school, Schweizer joined a well-established firm before becoming a self-employed attorney. Although he had a long list of accomplishments and accolades, he felt the most important job he ever had was being a husband and dad.
Milton Jesse Flick, 77, died on June 15, 2021 in Houston, Texas. He was a practicing attorney in Houston for over 50 years. Flick had a wide range of interests including sailing (earning the dubious nickname of Captain Bligh); country & western dancing; photography; genealogy; traveling the back roads and was a history buff.
Robert Lee Smith died peacefully on May 29, 2021. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and served in the Army before receiving his J.D. from Texas Law. After practicing law for 50 years, he retired in 2018 and was known to many as the Prince of Real Estate.
James Edward “Jimmy” Brill died on May 27, 2021. Brill was sworn in as a lawyer in December 1957, and practiced law, primarily as a solo, for over 60 years until his retirement in 2019. The State Bar of Texas awarded him the Presidents’ Award as “the outstanding lawyer in Texas” and he also received two lifetime achievement awards from the American Bar Association.
Michael Paul Lewis, age 42, passed away May 28, 2021. He practiced law in Kansas City, Missouri, and in Washington, D.C. He loved guitar, the blues, music in general, and his family. He delighted in finding the perfect analogy and could always be counted on to help anyone in need.
Daniel “Dan” Charles Miller passed away in Dripping Springs on May 18, 2021. He is a double Longhorn, Early on, Miller worked at at the Texas General Land Office, first managing the Oil & Gas Section of the Legal Division and later as the Deputy Land Commissioner. In 1989, he entered private practice with the law firm McElroy & Sullivan, and he worked as a partner with the firm for over 30 years.
Stanley David Rosenberg died at the age of 89 on May 21, 2021. Rosenberg served in the Air Force as a JAG officer, providing legal services in the Air Force. He founded three successful law firms, was involved in the creation of many large businesses, and one of his biggest points of pride was his negotiation of the purchase of the New Orleans Saints by Tom Benson. Rosenberg was known for his great sense of humor, his magnetic personality, and charismatic storytelling.
Minor L. Helm, Jr., 83, passed away Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Helm was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals as well as Northern, Eastern and Western districts of Texas, and was especially proud to achieve the highest possible peer review rating in legal ability and ethical standards for 40 years. He practiced law in Waco for 53 years, he was a friend to all and a very humble man.
Broadus Autry Spivey died at home Saturday, May 8, 2021 with his beloved Texas Hill Country view. Spivey graduated with a B.A. in Government at UT in 1960, then a J.D. from Texas Law in 1962. During his 57 years of practice he tried more than 500 cases to a jury and 146 appellate cases, and mentored around 200 law clerks. He believed in—and counseled law clerks & students to adopt—four principles: honesty, humility, humor, and humanity.
Frank Wayne Calhoun, age 88, died April 24, 2021 in Austin, TX. Calhoun served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict from 1951-53. He began his legal career in 1959 with the firm of Lee Byrd and Guy Shaw which quickly expanded to become Byrd, Shaw, Weeks & Calhoun. He served as State Representative for Abilene (1967-75) and served as delegate to Texas’s Constitutional Convention in 1974. Calhoun was recruited by the Houston law firm of Liddell, Sapp, Zivley, Hill & LaBoon to serve Austin clients and finally moved to Austin to make it his permanent home.
Robert “Bob” Erle Wehmeyer, Jr. passed away on April 19, 2021. Wehmeyer was a double Longhorn who practiced law in San Antonio for more than 30 years with the firms of Groce, Locke & Hebdon and Baucum Steed Barker. More recently, he spent 15 years at Jefferson Bank, where he served as Division President, Jefferson Bank Trust. Philanthropically, Bob had served as president of the board at Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, president of the board of Friends of McNay, and on the board of Morningside Ministries.
Monty Clyde Barber of Dallas Texas, 89, passed Tuesday Nov. 17, 2020. He was a double Longhorn before serving in the U.S. Army from 1955 – 1957. His career included being partner at Biggers, Baker, Lloyd & Carver, Dallas, 1957-1967; vice president and general counsel at Liquid Paper Company, 1967-1968; executive vice president and general counsel at Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc., 1968-1989; and manager and trustee of the Mary Kay Foundation. He was a member of the American Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Dallas Bar Association, Texas Exes Alumni Association and served as a member of the Texas Silver Spurs.
Marshall Joseph Day passed away on April 14, 2021 at age 74. Day spent most of his career practicing law with his father, Joe Day, Jr., in Fort Worth. Marshall Day’s clients could always count on his empathy, compassion, and his vigorous representation. His family and friends remember his persistent sense of humor, and his obsession with University of Texas athletics, especially football.
Leona Malmstrom Franklin of Houston passed away peacefully on April 2, 2021 at age 96. Franklin started college at Southwest Texas State University and then transferred to The University of Texas at Austin. She landed a job as legal secretary in the firm of Patterson and Patterson and the firm encouraged her to attend The University of Texas School of Law. She was admitted to the bar in 1950 and was successfully practicing law when she met and married the love of her life, Thomas Jennings Franklin.
Gillis Edward Reavis, age 62, passed away on Feb. 2, 2019. He was a successful trial attorney in Texas, eventually starting his own firm with law school friends. He chose to practice part-time when he was offered an adjunct position with the University of Texas School of Law to teach Texas Civil Procedure and Products Liability. In 1995 he joined the national law firm Morrison and Foerster, LLP. He then co-founded two boutique environmental law firms and later joined Foster Pepper LLP. Reavis was most proud of his successful litigation protecting the Olympic National Park Wilderness Area as a pro-bono project.
Roy Quillin Minton passed away at the age of 89 in Austin, TX on March 25, 2021. Minton began his career in the Travis County District Attorney’s office and in 1963 opened a law firm with Perry Jones – which later became Minton, Burton, Foster and Collins. Although the firms’ primary passion and notoriety drew upon criminal cases, Minton and the firm later became well known for their representation of many high-profile and complex civil litigation matters. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Minton’s name to the Save Our Springs Alliance.
William Jeffrey Demarest passed away at the age of 74 on March 24, 2021, after a long battle with numerous illnesses. Demarest obtained his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at El Paso, and his law degree from Texas Law. Although he had his law degree he didn’t limit himself to the practice of law, instead he led a rather eclectic life, as the owner/operator of Wee Tam Head Shop, world traveler, survivor of a small plane crash in the hill country of Texas, avid canoer, and spent his final work years as a CNC computerized punch press programmer and operator in Providence, Rhode Island.
Emily Martha Calhoun passed away peacefully in her Boulder, CO home on March 27, 2021. She began her law career as a civil rights lawyer for the Southern Regional Office of the American Civil Liberties Union in Atlanta, GA. However, Calhoun’s major impact in law was as a teacher and mentor to hundreds of students in the classroom as an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Georgia Law School (5 years) and as an Associate Professor (11 years) and Professor of Law (24 years) at the University of Colorado Law School. While at the University of Colorado, she took leave from the Law School for three years to serve the university as an Associate Vice President for Human Resources.
Jeptha P. “Jep” Hill, Jr., age 78, passed peacefully in Austin, Texas, with family at his side on Jan. 10, after a long, progressive battle with corticobasal degeneration. CBD is a rare, prime-of-life brain disease with no known cause or cure, and it was Jep’s wish that his brain be donated to the Mayo Clinic Brain Trust for research. He practiced law with Kleberg, Dyer, Redford & Weil Heron then with Burchette, Ruckert & Rothwell before starting Austin Linux Group in the ’90s. Hill was also a contributing editor of the Texas Natural Resources Reporter.
Robert E. Icenhauer-Ramirez graduated from Texas A&M University and then from Texas Law at at age 23. He practiced law for 40 years, first in Port Arthur, Texas, and later as an attorney for the City of Austin. He supported Texas Law’s Dean’s Scholarship Excellence Fund. Icenhauer-Ramirez eventually pursued his dream of becoming a historian, receiving his doctorate degree in history in 2014 from UT Austin. He published a book in 2019, Treason on Trial: The United States v. Jefferson Davis, through LSU press. His greatest aspiration came true when he was able to teach history at UT. Memorial donations may be made to the Dr. Robert Icenhauer-Ramirez Memorial Endowment in the Department of History at the UT Austin.
Jamie Clayton Boyd passed away at the age of 91 on the Feb. 5, 2021. During his legal career he served as Assistant City attorney, City of Austin, Assistant County Attorney of El Paso County. Boyd was elected State District Attorney for the 13th District of Texas. In 1997, he was appointed United States District Attorney for the Western District of Texas by President Jimmy Carter. Boyd also served two terms as United States Magistrate for the Western District of Texas.
Bruce Dixie Smith passed away peacefully in Houston, Texas on Feb. 21, 2021. Smith was a double Longhorn, having earned his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Texas in Austin. He joined the firm of Fulbright and Jaworski out of law school and was made partner in 1975. He was proud to be the first Fulbright attorney to win a case in front of the United States Supreme Court in 1974. Smith retired from the firm in 1997. Donations in Dixie’s memory may be made to any animal or homeless shelter, Meals on Wheels, Houston Food Bank or the charity of your choice.
Charles Rutherford Meeker III passed away at the age of 78 on Feb. 18, 2021. After graduating from Texas Law, Meeker moved to Los Angeles to clerk for Judge Walter Ely. He joined O’Melveny & Myers and rose to partner working in the business and later the entertainment divisions. In the 1980s, he co-founded Feldman/Meeker Entertainment and produced major motion pictures for nearly a decade. He returned to entertainment law as a partner at White & Case, where he successfully represented Credit Lyonnais in their effort to regain control of Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Meeker then served as MGM’s President from 1991-93, overseeing MGM’s transition to stable financial footing.
James F. “Jim” Rogers, an advocate for the city of Dallas who contributed countless hours to local organizations, died on Feb. 15, after battling cancer. He was 73.
Rogers was a graduate of Baylor University and Texas Law. He worked as a CPA before founding Ameripro Industries and was known as an ardent and inspirational activist. He ran for Dallas City Council for the District 14 seat in 2013.
Larry E. McCarver died on Feb. 6, 2021, at his home in Newport, Rhode Island, surrounded by his family. McCarver grew up in Corsicana, Texas, and kept in close touch with high school friends throughout his life. A double Longhorn, he earned a BA in History and a JD at Texas Law. He earned his MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona and eventually moved his family to Newport where he made career in international sales for 45 years with TACO Comfort Solutions. The family asks you to celebrate Larry’s life by loving your family with all your heart, making friends and family laugh; sneaking treats to your dog; and being patient, kind, and loving.
Peter Michael Lowry died on Jan. 31, 2021 in Austin, TX. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Markley Lowry. A double-Longhorn, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1964 and his JD in 1968. Pete served as a briefing attorney for the Supreme Court of Texas and then practiced law for nine years with the Austin firm McGinnis, Lochridge and Kilgore. In 1977 he was appointed by Gov. Dolph Briscoe as judge of the 261st District Court of Travis County and was re-elected to five four-year terms. Lowry served as a Local Administrative Judge for seven years. After retiring from the bench, he practiced dispute resolution in the firm of Meyers, Lowry and Coates.