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.
John F. “Jack” Onion Jr.
Onion, 93, of Austin, died
September 2, 2018. He served in the U.S. Marines from 1944 to 1946,
taking part in the invasion of Okinawa and the occupation of Japan for
10 months after World War II ended. Onion received his law degree from
the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar
in 1950. He was chief of the civil division of the Bexar County Criminal
District Attorney’s Office from 1950 to 1954; justice of the peace in
San Antonio from 1954 to 1956; judge of the Bexar County Criminal
District Court No. 2, now the 175th Criminal District Court, from 1956
to 1966; was on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals from 1967 to 1988,
first as a judge from 1967 to 1970 and then as the court’s first elected
presiding judge from 1970 until his retirement in 1988; spent 22 years
as a visiting judge, primarily for the 3rd Court of Appeals, and trial
judge; and taught in the summer of 1989 a St. Mary’s University School
of Law course at the University of Innsbruck in Austria on professional
responsibilities and ethics. Onion is remembered for his extensive
knowledge of European history; his strong work ethic; and possessing a
photographic memory, being able to accurately recall names, dates,
conversations, cases, and trials from decades earlier. He is survived by
his wife of 60 years, Nancy Vogelsang; sons, John F. Onion III and David
S. Onion; daughter Carol Onion Tinney; and six grandchildren.
James B. “Jim” Sheets
Sheets, 67, of Fort Worth, died
May 27, 2018. He received his law degree from Texas Tech University
School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1976. Sheets was a
staff attorney with the Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth from 1976 to
1981 and from 1984 to 1987; European counsel to Tandy Corporation in
Brussels, Belgium, from 1981 to 1984; vice president and legal/assistant
corporate secretary of Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth from 1987 to
1994; general counsel to National Finance Credit Corporation in Fort
Worth from 1994 to 2017; and a solo practitioner in Fort Worth from 1994
to 2017. He enjoyed traveling, spending time with his family, and
rooting for the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. Sheets is
survived by his wife of 33 years, Ann Sheets; son, attorney Patrick
Sheets; daughter, Katie Sheets; and sister, Sandra Horton.
Talmadge B. Boyd
Boyd, 81, of Toxey, Alabama, died
February 9, 2018. He received his law degree from St. Mary’s University
School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1962. Boyd was with
Maryland Casualty Company in Corpus Christi from 1962 to 1965; with John
L. Wortham & Son in Houston from 1965 to 1969; a partner in Brock,
Williams & Boyd in Houston from 1969 to 1988, and a partner in
Williams & Boyd in Houston from 1988 to 1995. He was admitted to
practice before the 5th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1969 and
joined the American Trial Lawyers Association in 1970. Boyd was known
for his warm, genuine personality. He enjoyed hunting and ranching. Boyd
is survived by his wife of 54 years, Doris S. Boyd; son, Talmadge
Grayson Boyd; and sister, Alice Faye Huffman.
Bill
Kohleffel
Kohleffel, 71, of The Woodlands, died
March 19, 2018. He served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970, being
honorably discharged as a first lieutenant. Kohleffel received a Purple
Heart and other commendations for his service. He received his law
degree from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar
in 1973. Kohleffel was a solo practitioner in the FM 1960 area of
Houston for his entire career. He was a member of the American Bar
Association and the Houston Northwest Bar Association. Kohleffel loved
hunting, especially with his brother, Jack, and the outdoors, going for
daily walks and feeding the squirrels at Meyer Park in Spring, and he
enjoyed visiting with his longtime fellow attorney friends at lunchtime
to discuss the legal matters of the day. He was preceded in death in
2015 by his wife of 47 years, Sharon Kohleffel, and is survived by his
mother, Doris Kohleffel; brother, Jack Kohleffel, and sister, Janet
Jurica.
William W. Keas Jr.
Keas, 81, of Portland, died June
19, 2018. He received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma
College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1962. Keas served in
the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, being honorably discharged
as a captain. He practiced family law in Corpus Christi and taught law
courses at Del Mar College and other area universities. Keas was
recognized as a 50-year-lawyer by the State Bar of Texas. He was a 32nd
degree Mason in the Al Amin Shriners organization. Keas loved to travel
and his family recalls his intellect, sense of humor, and determination.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Debra Willoughby, and is
survived by his wife of 27 years, Lenora; sons, Nathan Keas and Mark
Kurtz; daughters, Carol Sandoval and Alisa Braho; stepbrother, Charles
Bannworth; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
William C. Keady Jr.
Keady, 81, of Oxford, Mississippi,
died June 12, 2018. He received his law degree from Jackson School of
Law, now Mississippi College School of Law, and was admitted to the
Texas Bar in 1981. Keady was also admitted to the Mississippi Bar in
1963. He was a partner in Keady, Campbell & DeLong in Greenville,
Mississippi, from 1963 to 1981; an associate of Transamerica in Edinburg
from 1981 to 1983; an associate of Edwards Abstract and Title in
Edinburg from 1983 to 1985; an associate of the FDIC in Dallas from 1985
to 1988, in Midland from 1988 to 1991, and San Antonio from 1991 to
1993; a solo practitioner in Oxford, Mississippi, from 1993 to 1994; and
in various legal ventures in Longview, Dallas, and Memphis, Tennessee,
from 1994 to 2000. Keady was a recreational pilot for 11 years, flying
single-engine prop planes. He enjoyed traveling to towns and festivals
across Texas and visiting family. Keady is survived by his son, Jeff
Keady; sister, Peggy Keady; and one grandson.
George M. Conner III
Conner, 68, of Tyler, died May 14,
2018. He received his law degree from the Texas Tech University School
of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1975. Conner served in the
U.S. Army Reserve from 1976 to 1984. He was an assistant district
attorney in Tyler from 1976 to 1978; an attorney at Lawrence &
Lawrence in Tyler from 1978 to 1985; and a solo practitioner in Tyler
from 1985 to 2018. Conner was interested in watercolor painting,
reading, and fishing. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Elaine
Uzzel Conner; daughters, Bonnie Jackson and Elizabeth Rodriguez;
brothers, Ben Conner and Pat Conner; and five grandchildren.
Stephen J. Schechter
Schechter, 58, of Boerne, died
June 12, 2018. He received his law degree from the University of Houston
Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1989. Schechter was a
litigation associate of McLeod, Alexander, Powell & Apffel in
Houston in 1989; a general counsel to Iroquois Brands; a solo
practitioner in League City from 1990 to 2009 and in Boerne from 2009 to
2018. He was a member of the State Bar of Texas Family and Mediation
sections, San Antonio Bar Association, and Kendall County Bar
Association; member of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors from
2010 to 2013, and received the Outstanding Third-Year Director Award in
2013; and vice president of membership for the Bay Area Bar Association
from 2007 to 2009. Schechter was an avid skier, cyclist, camper, scuba
diver, auto enthusiast, and musician. He is survived by his wife of
nearly 30 years, Alyssa Schechter; sons, Nathan and Ben; father, Eliot
Schechter; mother, Marie; stepmother, Jan; and brothers, Ted, Ric, and
Brian.
Robert Tingay Brousseau
Brousseau, 69, of Dallas,
died March 30, 2018. He received his law degree from Duke University
School of Law, his LL.M. from Columbia Law School, his certificate in
international law from The Hague Academy of International Law,
Netherlands, and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1972. Brousseau was an
associate of Baker Botts in Houston from 1972 to 1974; an associate
professor of law at Mercer University School of Law in Macon, Georgia,
from 1973 to 1977; a visiting associate professor of law at the
University of Tulsa College of Law in Oklahoma in the summer of 1975 and
at the University of Texas School of Law in the summer of 1978; a
professor of law at Southern Methodist University School of Law from
1978 to 1984; and a shareholder in Stutzman, Bromberg, Esserman &
Plifka in Dallas from 1984 to 2017. He was an elected member of the
American Law Institute, a contributing author to Collier on
Bankruptcy, and author of Civil Procedure: A Functional
Approach. Brousseau had a deep passion for all things historical
and cultural, whether it was acquiring languages, taking history-themed
vacations, or collecting Texas art. He is survived by his son, Arthur
Brousseau; daughter, Alexandra Halbardier; brother, John Stephen
Brousseau; sisters, Andrea Brousseau Cornelius and Catherine Brousseau;
and one grandson.
Richard A. Coulter
Coulter, 88, of Spring, died
January 15, 2018. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1954.
Coulter received his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of
Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1971. He was admitted to the
Oklahoma Bar in 1961. Coulter was senior tax attorney for Sun Oil
Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Dallas from 1966 to 1974; manager of oil
and gas taxes for Monsanto in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1974 to 1982;
director of tax and insurance for Monsanto in Houston from 1982 to 1985;
manager of tax and insurance for BHP Billiton Petroleum (Americas) in
Houston from 1985 to 1991; and senior tax advisor to BHP Billiton
Petroleum (Americas) in Houston from 1991 to 1993. He was a member of
the American Petroleum Institute General and Taxation committees, and a
member of the Tax Executives Institute. Coulter was a consummate
gentleman, known for his gregarious laugh and love of family. He enjoyed
fishing and playing bridge. Coulter is survived by his son, Christopher
N. Coulter; daughter, Caryn Coulter Stewart; and three
grandchildren.
Martha Perkins Waldron Perrin
Perrin, 63, of Brenham and Houston,
died February 25, 2018. She received her law degree from the University
of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1980. Perrin
was an associate of Gresham, Davis, Gregory, Worthy & Moore in San
Antonio from 1981 to 1984; an associate of Russell & Vickers in San
Antonio from 1985 to 1987; and an associate of Plunkett & Gibson in
San Antonio from 1988 to 1993. She enjoyed raising quarter horses and
loved all things ranching. Perrin is survived by her husband of 25
years, attorney Harry A. Perrin; daughter, Harrison Alexandra Perkins
Perrin; stepsons, David Perrin and Andrew Perrin; stepdaughter, Paige
Perrin; mother, Patricia Perkins Crocker; brother, Roman S. Waldron IV;
sister, Nancy Wallace Waldron; and two grandchildren.
William E. Twyman
Twyman, 73, of Conroe, died December
22, 2017. He served in the U.S. Navy as an aircraft carrier pilot from
1969 to 1977. Twyman received his law degree from South Texas College of
Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1996. He was a pilot for
Continental Airlines from 1977 to 2004 and was a rancher. Twyman is
survived by his wife, Carol Twyman; sons, Michael Twyman and Matt
Twyman; daughter, Jacquelyn Sanches; and two grandchildren.
Gale O. Castillo
Castillo, 82, of Floresville, died May
6, 2018. He received his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of
Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1966. Castillo was a solo
practitioner in San Antonio for over 50 years, opening his practice in
1967. He had a passion for helping folks through pro bono work. Castillo
enjoyed reading, especially the works of Stephen King, and recording and
watching TV shows, such as Perry Mason. He is survived by his wife of 55
years, Sherry Lynn Castillo; brother, Mack David Rodriguez; and his
sister, Maria Elena Buruato.
Forrest Edward Penney Jr.
Penney, 71, of Gonzales,
died June 13, 2018. He honorably served in the U.S. Air Force from 1969
to 1989, including flying the F-4 in Vietnam, being awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross; the F-111; and, in an exchange with the
Navy, the A-6. Penney received his law degree from Texas Tech University
School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1992. He was a solo
practitioner in Gonzales from 1993 to 2018. Penney served as president
and secretary of Gonzales Independence Homes from 1994 to 2018; was a
member of the Rotary Club of Gonzales, serving as president in 1997; and
was a Paul Harris fellow. He was an avid reader and lifelong learner.
Penney enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes. He is survived by his
wife of 50 years, Sue; son, James Penney; daughter, Lori Sandefur; and
three grandchildren.
Isidore Adam Filer Jr.
Filer, 77, of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, died June 11, 2018. He received his law degree from the
University of Houston Law Center and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1964. Filer was with the criminal investigation branch of the IRS in
Dallas, Houston, and Oklahoma City from 1964 to 1997. He was an avid
reader, traveler, cyclist, runner, and sailor. Filer is survived by his
wife of 55 years, Catherine Linbeck Filer; sons, Keith Filer and Karl
Pfeiler; daughter, Eileen Whitson; eight grandchildren; and eight
great-grandchildren.
Thomas W. McKenzie
McKenzie, 68, of Fort Worth, died
March 16, 2018. He received his law degree from Texas Wesleyan School of
Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1994. McKenzie was also a
member of the Oklahoma Bar. He was a partner in Shapiro & McKenzie
in Fort Worth from 1994 to 2004; owner of the Law Office of Tom McKenzie
in Hurst from 2005 to 2008; managing partner in Turner & McKenzie in
Hurst from 2008 to 2012; senior partner in McKenzie, Schatz & Milks
in Arlington from 2013 to 2014; and a solo practitioner in Fort Worth
from 2014 to 2018. McKenzie was a member of the law review at Texas
Wesleyan School of Law in 1993 and was named the Attorney Ad Litem of
the Year Award by CASA of Tarrant County in 2001. He was an avid golfer
and unquestionably devoted to the Texas Rangers. McKenzie had compassion
for the underdog. His sense of humor endeared him to others, and he was
a kind and loving soul. McKenzie is survived by his wife of 39 years,
attorney Cynthia McKenzie; sons, Douglas Larson Jr. and Timothy Larson;
brother, attorney David McKenzie; sister, Sharon Corpora; and three
grandchildren.
Robert E. Jenkins Jr.
Jenkins, 74, of
Bastrop, died June 14, 2018. He received his law degree from Baylor Law
School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1968. Jenkins served as a
captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1969 to
1973. He was a solo practitioner in Bastrop from 1973 to 1999, and a
partner in Jenkins & Jenkins in Bastrop from 1999 to 2018. Jenkins
was a fellow of the Texas Bar College and the Texas Bar Foundation. He
used his legal skills to solve people’s problems, not create more
problems. Jenkins loved his family, his dogs, and Bastrop. He is
survived by his wife of 49 years, Stephanie; sons, Robert and attorney
Will; and three grandchildren.
Robert Stephen Toth
Toth, 69, of Montgomery, died
February 18, 2018. He received his law degree from South Texas College
of Law, his LL.M. from the University of Houston Law Center, and was
admitted to the Texas Bar in 1982. Toth served in the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary from 1993 to 2014. He was an associate of Butler & Binion
in Houston from 1981 to 1984; a solo practitioner in Houston from 1984
to 2018; and of counsel to the Nations Law Firm in Houston from 1999 to
2018. Toth was a member of the Order of the Lytae. He was a man of deep
faith and a member of Mims Baptist Church in Conroe. Toth enjoyed
sailing, traveling, and the opera. He is survived by his wife of 12
years, Fiona Newport Toth.TBJ
