Memorials
Submit a memorial at texasbar.com/memorials or call (512) 427-1830. For information on closing a deceased attorney’s practice, go to www.texasbarcle.com/materials/closingapractice.html.
Romie Neal Jr.
Neal, 82, of Houston, died January 13,
2019. He served in the U.S. Air Force. Neal received his law degree from
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law and was
admitted to the Texas Bar in 1986. He was an attorney with Neal and Neal
from 1986 to 2018. Neal was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and
great-grandfather. He is survived by his sons, Ronald Neal and Darrell
Griffith; daughters, Elizabeth Neal, Cynthia Aldridge, Tansey Beasley,
and Ursula Shaw; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Churchell William Duncan Jr.
Duncan, 94, of Killeen, died
December 27, 2018. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1943 to 1945
and again from 1951 to 1953, being honorably discharged as a first
lieutenant. Duncan received his law degree from Baylor Law School and
was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1950. He was a partner in Duncan &
Bragg from 1953 to 1969 and in Duncan, Bragg, Baron, Phillips &
Adams from 1970 to 1978; judge of the 27th Judicial District Court in
Bell County from 1978 to 1988; and served as a senior judge until 2014.
Duncan was chair of the State Bar of Texas Unauthorized Practice of Law
Committee. He was a member of the Bell County Bar Association. Duncan
was an avid outdoorsman and especially enjoyed whitewater canoeing,
including trips through the canyons of Big Bend and the low water dams
of the Guadalupe River. He took up snow skiing in his late 60s. Duncan
was a world traveler, driving to the southernmost point of South America
and back, traveling to Europe and China, and driving across parts of
Australia and New Zealand. He is survived by his son, C.W. Duncan III,
and four grandchildren.
Herman Isaac Morris
Morris, 91, of Plano, died November
17, 2018. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps. Morris
received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and
was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1950. He was in private practice in
Fort Worth, first partnering with Scranton Jones and later with Allen
Hendelman. Friends described Morris as having a great sense of humor and
joy for life. He was focused on repairing and improving the lives of
others. Morris wrote numerous letters to the editor that were published
in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and
publications in Fort Worth, Dallas, and New Mexico. He is survived by
his wife of 24 years, Shirley Morris; daughter, Ellen St. Clair;
brother, Charles J. Morris; three grandchildren; and seven
great-grandchildren.
John R. Saringer
Saringer, 72, of Abilene, died January
10, 2019. He was in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970, serving in Vietnam,
and was stationed in Hawaii. Saringer received his law degree from
Baylor Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1973. He was an
assistant city attorney in the Abilene City Attorney’s Office from 1973
to 1974; in private practice in Abilene from 1975 to 1982 and from 1987
to 1989; judge of Taylor County Court at Law 1 in Abilene from 1983 to
1987; and a partner in Wagstaff in Abilene from 1989 to 2018. Saringer
served as commissioner of the Texas Adult Probate Commission from 1987
to 1989. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and boating—teaching his
grandchildren to waterski and taking them tubing. Saringer is survived
by his wife of 50 years, Sandi; daughters, Kellye Saringer and Stacey
Moore; sister, Frances Jones; and four grandchildren.
R.C.
“Eric” Augesen
Augesen, 77, of Odessa, died October 28,
2017. He served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1961. Augesen received his
law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law and was admitted to
the Texas Bar in 1972. He was a prosecutor in the Ector County
Attorney’s Office in Odessa from 1973 to 1974; an associate of Childs
& Bishop in Odessa from 1974 to 1975; a solo practitioner in Odessa
from 1975 to 1985; Ector County District Attorney in Odessa from 1985 to
1989; and a solo practitioner in Odessa from 1989 to 2017. Augesen’s
wife, children, and grandchildren were everything to him. Protecting
children was his professional and personal mission. Augesen was a
voracious reader and was never without a book. He is survived by his
wife of 57 years, Gloria M. Augesen; sons, attorney Eric C. Augesen and
Jon L. Augesen; daughters, attorney Roxanna A. Manuel, Rhonda A. Vaughn,
Rene M. Augesen, and Rochele G. Augesen; brother, Ernest Augesen;
sister, Donna Combs; and 12 grandchildren.
Frank William
“Bill” Colburn
Colburn, 89, of Houston, died
December 15, 2018. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1948 to
1952. Colburn received his law degree from the University of Texas
School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1956. He was an
assistant attorney general in the Texas Attorney General’s Office in
Austin from 1958 to 1967; an assistant city attorney for the city of
Houston from 1967 to 1974; and director of economic development and
general counsel to the Port of Houston from 1974 to 1996. Colburn was an
avid reader and enjoyed listening to music and studying geography. He is
survived by his sons, Lee J. Colburn and R. Ryan Colburn; five
grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Paul E. Strohl
Strohl, 62, of Houston, died April 11,
2016. He received his law degree from Harvard Law School and was
admitted to the Texas Bar in 1977. Strohl was an associate of Butler,
Binion, Rice, Cook & Knapp in Houston from 1977 to 1983; an
associate of Johnson & Swanson, later Johnson & Gibbs, in Dallas
from 1983 to 1984 and a partner in the firm in Dallas from 1985 to 1990
and in Houston in 1991; a partner in and of counsel to BakerHostetler in
Houston from 1991 to 1993; a partner in Hutcheson & Grundy in
Houston from 1994 to 1998; and an equity shareholder in Winstead
Sechrest & Minick, now Winstead, from 1998 to 2005, where he led the
energy practice group. He practiced energy and corporate law and was
active in the American Bar Association, the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law
Foundation, and the Southwestern Legal Foundation, now the Center for
American and International Law’s Institute for Energy Law. Strohl was a
trustee of the Houston Ballet and was a founder and longtime director of
the Houston Technology Center. He was a past president of the Harvard
University Club of Houston. One of Strohl’s great joys was taking his
sons to watch the Houston Astros. He is survived by his sons, John and
Peter Strohl, and former wife of more than two decades, attorney Sigrid
Caroline Schroder.
Michael Bennett Udell
Udell, 67, of Plainfield, Indiana,
died December 27, 2018. He received his law degree from South Texas
College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1978. Udell was
admitted to the Florida Bar in 1979. He was the owner of the Law Offices
of Michael B. Udell in Broward County, Florida, from 1979 to 2005. Udell
was a guardian ad litem for family court and a traffic-hearing officer
in Broward County. He loved his family, the law, and fishing. Udell is
survived by his wife of 39 years, Helene Bookman Udell; son, attorney
Jeremy M. Kridel; daughter, Shayna M. Udell; brother, Paul V. Udell;
sister, Karen Udell Froman; and one grandchild.
Virgil H.
Barfield
Barfield, 82, of Houston, died
August 23, 2017. He received his law degree from the University of
Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1970. Barfield
practiced law with several friends in the Houston area before entering
the geophysical industry, working for Texas Instruments, Geophysical
Service (later Halliburton Geophysical Services), Western Geophysical,
and Aram Systems. He is survived by his wife of 10 years, Carolyn J.
Barfield; sons, Virgil Henry Barfield Jr. and John Allen Barfield;
daughter, Sarah Barfield Brown; stepdaughters, Cindy Jones and Becky
Evans; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Jason Riley Searcy
Searcy, 65, of Marshall, died January
18, 2019. He received his law degree from Baylor Law School and was
admitted to the Texas Bar in 1978. Searcy was an associate of Abney
& Baldwin in Marshall from 1978 to 1980; assistant city attorney in
Marshall from 1978 to 1980; a partner in Abney & Baldwin in Marshall
from 1980 to 1984; city attorney of Marshall from 1981 to 1984; a
partner in Sharp, Ward, Price & Searcy in Longview from 1984 to
1991; and a partner in Searcy & Searcy in Longview from 1991 to
2019. His practice focused on complicated business bankruptcies, and he
argued cases before the 1st and 5th Circuit Courts and the U.S. Supreme
Court. Searcy’s favorite law partners were his son and daughter, who
were both graduates of Baylor Law School. His paralegals were with him
collectively for over 90 years—Dawn Cameron, Vivian Guy, Kim McMullen,
and Betty Allen. Searcy was intensely curious about subjects across all
disciplines, reading up on anything that piqued his interest. He enjoyed
travel and baseball, but nothing compared to time with family. The joy
of Searcy’s life was his faith, his family, and his home—a place of
beautiful nature, a wealth of memories, and the comfort of love therein.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Rebecca Powers Searcy; his son,
attorney Joshua P. Searcy; daughter, attorney Callan C. Searcy;
brothers, Jimmy Q. Searcy and John M. Searcy; sister, Regina Helm; and
two grandchildren.
Steven F. Owens
Owens, 37, of Fate, died February 2,
2019. He received his law degree from Samford University Cumberland
School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 2008. Owens was
admitted to practice in Tennessee in 2009. He was an associate of Pitts
& Lake in Knoxville, Tennessee, from 2008 to 2011 and a partner in
Merchant & Gould in Knoxville from 2011 to 2019. Owens loved his
family, fishing, and finding new restaurants. He enjoyed his work as a
patent attorney. Owens was a member of Rockwall First United Methodist
Church. He is survived by his wife of five years, Colby Owens; son, Sim
Francis Owens; daughter, Coralee Ruth Owens; father, Paul Owens; mother,
Rosa Owens; and sister, Cherie Dejoie.
James Francis
Parker
Parker, 72, of Dallas, died January 26,
2019. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of
Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1972. Parker was a law clerk
for Judge Jack Roberts in the U.S. federal courts in Austin from 1972 to
1976; assistant attorney general in the Texas Attorney General’s Office
in Austin from 1976 to 1979; a partner in Oppenheimer, Rosenberg,
Kelleher and Wheatley in San Antonio from 1979 to 1986; general counsel
to Southwest Airlines in Dallas from 1986 to 2001 and CEO from 2001 to
2004; a board member of Texas Roadhouse in Louisville, Kentucky, from
2004 to 2019; a board member of Sammons Enterprises in Dallas from 2006
to 2019; and a partner in Texas Aviation Partners in Austin from 2008 to
2019. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s Superior
Leadership Award in 1992-1993, Transport World’s Labor Relations Award
in 1998, and Morningstar CEO of the Year in 2001. Parker was a wise,
kind, gentle friend. He mentored many from Southwest Airlines, Texas
Roadhouse, and Sammons. Parker was a hospitable host who shared good
wines, his world-famous margaritas, and endless stories in the pub in
the Parker home. He was a fan of all sports, but particularly his
University of Texas football and baseball teams, and Dallas Stars
hockey. Parker is survived by his wife of over 47 years, Patricia Lorang
Parker; son, attorney James Francis Parker III; daughter, Jennifer
Elaine Parker; and two grandchildren.
John D. Gilpin
Gilpin, 84, of Houston, died
November 17, 2018. He served in U.S. Army from 1958 to 1970 and was part
of the 525th Military Intelligence Group at Fort George G. Meade in
Maryland. Gilpin received his law degree from the University of Texas
School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1958. He was a
partner in Fulbright and Crooker, later Fulbright and Jaworski, in
Houston from 1959 to 1979; a partner in Payne, Gilpin, Maynard &
Parsons, later named Gilpin, Maynard, Parsons, Pohl, & Bennett and
Gilpin Paxson & Bersch in Houston from 1979 to 2000; was of counsel
to Sheinfeld Maley & Kay in Houston from 2000 to 2001; of counsel to
Zeidman & Associates in Houston from 2001 to 2002; of counsel to
Bush & O’Brien in Houston in 2002; and of counsel to Thompson, Coe,
Cousins & Irons in Houston from 2002 to 2018. Gilpin was a member of
the American Board of Trial Advocates from 1985 to 2018; a member of the
Houston Bar Association, and fellow and secretary of the Houston Bar
Foundation. He was in Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity while at the
University of Texas School of Law. Gilpin loved history and had a
remarkable knowledge of his history and the history of people he knew.
He was survived by his wife of 32 years, JoAnn Gilpin, who died January
12, 2019; sons, John Wesley Gilpin II and Carey Dean Gilpin; daughter,
Amanda Gilpin Upshaw; stepsons, Wayne Peel and Timothy Patrick Daly;
stepdaughters, Rebecca Renee Peel and Sharon Daly Scanlin; sister,
GeorgeAnn Dirks; and seven grandchildren.
Charles R. Porter
Jr.
Porter, 96, of Corpus Christi, died
January 1, 2019. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1944 and was
based in the Pacific Theater. Porter received his law degree from the
University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1948. He was an assistant county attorney and district attorney in the
Nueces County District Attorney’s Office in Corpus Christi and a
founding and senior partner in Porter, Rogers, Dahlman & Gordon in
Corpus Christi. Porter was a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and the
American Bar Foundation. He was a past president of the Nueces County
Bar Association and the Corpus Christi Bar Association. Porter was an
active member of the First United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi. He
was an avid golfer and fisherman. Porter is survived by his wife of 72
years, Alice Mungall; sons, Charles R. Porter III and Daniel Bowen
Porter; daughter, Melissa Welch; nine grandchildren; and 11
great-grandchildren.
L. Lloyd MacDonald
MacDonald, 87, of Midland, died
December 14, 2018. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1954.
MacDonald received his law degree from Baylor Law School and was
admitted to the Texas Bar in 1957. He worked as a title analyst for
Shell Oil Company in Midland; in private practice; as an attorney for
Kerr, Fitz-Gerald & Kern in Midland; and as a partner in Turpin,
Smith, Dyer, Saxe and MacDonald in Midland. MacDonald was a past
president of the Midland County Bar Association and was chosen as its
first recipient of the John Hyde Memorial Award in 2013. He was very
proud of his Scottish heritage and celebrated his 50th wedding
anniversary by touring Scotland with his wife, including visiting
Invergarry Castle, the seat of the chiefs of the Clan MacDonell of
Glengarry. When MacDonald was not in the courtroom, he cultivated his
love of poetry and pursued his interest in Texas history. He is survived
by his wife of 60 years, Juanice MacDonald; daughter, Kathy MacDonald;
three granddaughters; and one step-granddaughter.
Gustavo
“Gus” Garza
Garza, 65, of Bayview, died December
27, 2018. He received his law degree from Creighton University School of
Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1982. Garza was an assistant
district attorney in the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office in
Brownsville from 1982 to 1984; Willacy County District Attorney in
Raymondville; in private practice in Los Fresnos; justice of the peace
for Cameron County Precinct 6 in Los Fresnos; and an assistant district
attorney in the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office in Brownsville
from 2013 to 2017. He enjoyed ranching, fishing, and traveling. Garza is
survived by his wife, Martha Galarza; daughters, Maritza Gonzalez, Karla
Rodriguez, and Kayla Lyons; stepsons, Roldan, Orlan, and Robert John
Martinez; mother, Martina Graciela Garza; brothers, Tony Garza, David
Garza, Heriberto Garza, Luis Garza, Javier Garza, and Jaime Garza;
sisters, Gloria Reta, Mary Argullin, Gracie Faubion, and Lilia Rey; and
five grandchildren. TBJ
