In Memoriam – January 2020

The State Bar of Texas’ Membership Department was informed in January 2020 of the deaths of these members. We join the officers and directors of the State Bar in expressing our deepest sympathy.

• Ralph Alvarez, 54, of Houston, died December 22, 2019. He received his law degree from Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1992.
• Jose Baca, 84, of El Paso, died December 2, 2019. He received his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1972.
• Julia Grivich Benkoski, 65, of Austin, died August 24, 2019. She received her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1982.
• Henry T. Brooks, 81, of The Woodlands, died December 13, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1962.
• Bob Brown, 73, of Houston, died December 17, 2019. He received his law degree from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1985.
• Robert Paul Buckner, 73, of Whitney, died December 17, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1971.
• Stephen L. Burkett, 70, of Corpus Christi, died November 16, 2019. He received his law degree from Baylor Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1973.
• Mel E. Burridge, 61, of Pearland, died January 2, 2020. He received his law degree from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1990.
• Oscar Cavazos, 98, of Raymondville, died January 14, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1951.
• Edward E. Cockerell, 78, of Abilene, died March 12, 2019. He received his law degree from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1965.
• Sean Cody, 53, of Humble, died November 22, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1998.
• Carla J. Cox, 68, of Austin, died November 29, 2019. She received her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1977.
• C. Cohron Crutchfield, 88, of Beaumont, died December 28, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1959.
• C.M. Davis, 77, of Austin, died December 29, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1967.
• John Martin Davis Jr., 74, of Dallas, died December 7, 2019. He received his law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1970.
• Allen Wayne Dermody, 71, of Kent, Washington, died November 25, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1997.
• Hilary B. Doran Jr., 83, of Austin, died December 21, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1965.
• David T. Duncan, 90, of Bryan, died January 11, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1956.
• Greg Farnik, 56, of Frisco, died October 31, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1989.
• Michael Haines, 62, of Dallas, died January 1, 2020. He received his law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1982.
• Thomas A. Harwood, 83, of Uvalde, died December 9, 2019. He received his law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1963.
• Robert J. Hearon Jr., 89, of Austin, died December 26, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1954.
• Clyde Jones III, 55, of College Station, died January 17, 2020. He received his law degree from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 2008.
• Gerhard Kleinschmidt, 77, of Aledo, died January 11, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1971.
• L.W. Kreis, 74, of Fort Worth, died May 4, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1971.
• Eugene Daniel Leightman, 79, of Houston, died December 30, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1966.
• James T. Liston, 57, of La Porte, died December 4, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1987.
• James W. Massie III, 70, of Dallas, died January 6, 2020. He received his law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1974.
• Everett S. McCrum, 88, of Brownwood, died January 6, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1954.
• Robert Gene McKenzie, 81, of Dallas, died December 15, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1965.
• Bruce McKay Miller, 88, of San Antonio, died November 26, 2019. He received his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1973.
• Louis M. Moore, 98, of Houston, died November 23, 2019. He received his law degree from Baylor Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1951.
• Dan L. Nicewander, 78, of Plano, died December 20, 2019. He received his law degree from Columbia Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1966.
• Charles W. Oldham, 86, of Wichita Falls, died December 4, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1960.
• James David Parish, 84, of Katy, died December 23, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1971.
• Virginia Pennington, 58, of Dallas, died December 22, 2019. She received her law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1989.
• William Pitt Philips Jr., 83, of Denton, died January 17, 2020. He received his law degree from Indiana University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1962.
• George E. Pletcher, 91, of Houston, died December 15, 2019. He received his law degree from Notre Dame Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1951.
• Robert Donald Repasky, 85, of Rockport, died December 18, 2019. He received his law degree from Duquesne University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 2003.
• James Michael Roach, 61, of Willis, died January 16, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1982.
• Jack Sides Jr., 80, of Dallas, died January 19, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1963.
• Evan A. Strawn, 87, of Georgetown, died December 26, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1959.
• R. Scott Summerfield, 75, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, died November 20, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1971.
• Howard S. Sussman, 81, of Norwich, Vermont, died June 19, 2019. He received his law degree from Columbia Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1979.
• Timothy Tesch, 58, of Gatesville, died December 10, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1987.
• Robert Ralph Truitt, 71, of Midland, died January 14, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1973.
• Michael Wagner, 70, of Grand Prairie, died November 6, 2019. He received his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1979.
• Bradley Westmoreland, 68, of Houston, died December 14, 2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1976.
• Charles Wist, 69, of Cypress, died August 30, 2019. He received his law degree from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1982.
• William G. Woodford, 80, of Houston, died January 13, 2020. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1964.
• Mary Yeagley, 30, of Dallas, died January 4, 2020. She received her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 2015.

If you would like to have a memorial for a loved one published in the Texas Bar Journal, please go to texasbar.com/memorials. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Texas Bar Journal at 512-427-1701 or toll-free at 800-204-2222, ext. 1701.