Memorials June 2022
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.
Curtis Cullen Smith Jr.
Smith, 96, of
Waco, died April 16, 2022. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps until
1946. Smith received his law degree from Baylor Law School and was
admitted to the Texas Bar in 1950. He was an attorney with Smith &
McIlheran in Weslaco from 1950 to 1953, before returning to Waco and
joining the law firm of Naman, Howell, Smith, Lee & Muldrow, now
Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee, where he served as managing partner,
president, chairman, head of the trial section, and counsel to the firm
until his death; and was a Waco City Council member from 1983 to 1985.
Smith was president of the Waco-McLennan County Bar Association from
1956 to 1957; president of the State Junior Bar of Texas, now the Texas
Young Lawyers Association, from 1957 to 1958; sat on the State Bar of
Texas Board of Directors from 1971 to 1974; was chair of the Texas Bar
Foundation from 1973 to 1974, was chair of the Special Committee on
Revision of Canons of Ethics from 1969 to 1971; and was president of the
State Bar from 1978 to 1979. He was known for his involvement in many
community causes, including working with Waco leaders to desegregate
public facilities in the city in the early 1960s. Smith is survived by
his wife of 13 years, Ann Brown Parsons; daughters, Sallie Smith Wright,
attorney Risher Smith Gilbert, and Elizabeth Brient Smith; four
grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Philipa Marie Remington
Remington, 72, of Dallas, died December 8, 2021. She
received her law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law
and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1978. She was an associate of
Cowles & Thompson in Dallas from 1978 to 1984 before becoming a
partner in the firm from 1984 to 2000, a founding partner in Stinnett
Thiebaud & Remington in Dallas from 2000 to 2013, and a founding
partner in Thiebaud Remington Thornton Bailey in Dallas from 2013 to
2021. She enjoyed volunteering in the special care nurseries at Parkland
Memorial Hospital, participating and coaching for Luke’s Locker half
marathon walking groups, and traveling and shopping. Remington is
survived by her sons, Christopher Remington and Alex Remington; and
sister, Shanda Burkett.
John C. Webb Jr.
Webb, 65, of
College Station, died February 15, 2022. He received his law degree from
Baylor Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1981. Webb was a
co-founding partner in West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry in College
Station from 1982 to 2022. He was also panel chair of the State Bar of
Texas District 8 Grievance Committee, District 8A. He is remembered for
being a devoted husband and father; being driven, competitive, and
relentless; and co-founding First Win, a nonprofit organization that
focuses on supporting and empowering children in the community. Webb is
survived by his wife of 43 years, Sue Webb; daughters, Sue Ellen von
Merz, Hallie Mancuso, and Ashlyn Hand; sister, attorney Cynthia “Cindy”
Winton; and eight grandchildren.
Mark T. Davenport
Davenport,
76, of Townsend, Tennessee, died March 22, 2022. He received his law
degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law and was admitted
to the Texas Bar in 1969. Davenport was an associate of Atwell Malouf
Musslewhite & Bynum in Dallas from 1969 to 1972, founding partner in
Cain & Davenport in Dallas from 1973 to 1974, founding partner in
Atwell, Cain & Davenport in Dallas from 1975 to 1978, founding
partner in Davenport & Brown in Dallas from 1979 to 1984, partner in
Johnson & Swanson in Dallas from 1984 to 1986, and a founding
partner in Figari & Davenport in Dallas from 1986 to 2018. He was a
fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an advocate in the
American Board of Trial Advocates, and an emeritus member of the William
“Mac” Taylor American Inn of Court. Davenport is remembered as a fierce
advocate with a direct, no-nonsense approach and for his love of outdoor
sports, including cycling, hiking, kayaking, boating, and fishing; and
his love of cars and houses. He is survived by his wife of 26 years,
retired attorney Jill B. Davenport; daughters, Kelly Chamblee, Molly
Hurt, and Marcy Haggar; brother, attorney Kent Davenport; sister,
solicitor Kay Davenport; and eight grandchildren.
Mike Davis
Davis, 69, of
Austin, died March 30, 2022. He received his law degree from St. Mary’s
University School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1979.
Davis was an associate of Byrd, Davis & Eisenberg in Austin and a
partner and co-founder of Slack Davis Sanger in Austin from 1993 to
2022. He was admitted to practice in federal courts, including the U.S.
Supreme Court; U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, 11th Circuit,
and District of Columbia Circuit; and the U.S. District Courts for the
Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, and Western
District of Texas. Davis was certified in personal injury law by the
Texas Board of Legal Specialization and was a fellow of the American
Board of Trial Advocates. He is remembered for his humor, intelligence,
and love for his family and friends. Davis is survived by his wife,
Susan Davis; son, Ty Davis; and daughter-in-law, Ashleigh Davis.
Rhonda Johnson Byrd
Byrd, 68, of
Arlington, died March 27, 2022. She received her law degree from
Louisiana State University and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1980.
Byrd was in private practice in Austin from 1980 to 1983; in-house
attorney with Travelers Insurance in Dallas from 1983 to 1985; a partner
in Thompson, Coe, Cousins, and Irons in Dallas from 1985 to 2000; taught
trial advocacy at Southern Methodist University School of Law for 10
years; and represented clients both national and international clients.
Along with her career in the law, she is also remembered as an
accomplished artist, gourmet cook, and extensive world traveler. Byrd is
survived by her husband of 45 years, John Byrd; son, John Byrd Jr.;
brother, Russell Johnson; sister, Theresa Johnson Miller; and two
grandchildren.
Theodore S. Hirtz
Hirtz, 85, of
Houston, died February 21, 2022. He received his law degree from
Stanford Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1963. Hirtz
served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1956 to 1962. He was a
member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the
American, Federal, and Houston bar associations. Hirtz was a law clerk
for Richard Haynes; an attorney with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in
New York from 1963 to 1965; an assistant district attorney in Houston
from 1965 to 1969; an associate of, and later partner in, Childress,
Port and Crady in Houston from 1969 to 1974; an attorney with Hirtz
& McDonough from 1977 to 1984; and an attorney with the Law Offices
of Ted Hirtz until his retirement in 2021. He is remembered for being
the 40th chieftain of the Heather and Thistle Society, president of the
Houston chapter of the English-Speaking Union, and singing for more than
50 years in the men’s chorus of the Houston Saengerbund. Hirtz is
survived by his wife of 35 years, Susan Akers Hirtz; sons, Henry,
Stewart, and Hill Hirtz; and six grandchildren.
Zachary D. Norris
Norris, 45,
of Auckland, New Zealand, died October 24, 2021. He received his law
degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to
the Texas Bar in 2002. Norris was an associate of Tom Alexander Law Firm
in Houston from 2002 to 2003; an associate of Brown Sims in Houston from
2003 to 2005; an associate of T. Wade Welch & Associates in Houston
from 2005 to 2006; principal in the Norris Law Firm in Houston from 2006
to 2021; principal in Norris Legal Consulting in Auckland, New Zealand,
from 2011 to 2021; and co-founder of Norris Echetebu Law in Auckland,
New Zealand, from 2011 to 2021. He is remembered for being a dedicated
family man, beloved friend, and mentor; a classical pianist,
contemporary guitar player, and songwriter; and lover of the outdoors.
Norris is survived by his wife of 14 years, Ada Echetebu; daughter,
Olanna Enlik Echetebu Norris; and mother, Shelia Montgomery Norris.
Ward A. White III
White, 83, of
Fort Worth, died March 25, 2022. He received his law degree from Yale
Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1976. White was in
private practice in Fort Worth from 1976 to 1981; an assistant attorney
general of Texas and chief of tort litigation in Austin from 1981 to
1983; general counsel to the Texas Secretary of State in Austin from
1984 to 1986; associate general counsel to Dallas Area Rapid Transit
from 1987 to 1989; assistant district attorney in the Civil Division of
the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office from 1996 to
2007; and was in private practice in Fort Worth from 2008 to 2015. He is
remembered for his brilliant legal mind, love of reading, and love of
music. White is survived by his son, attorney Ward White IV; and
daughter, attorney Simone White.
Mary Kopecky Ludwick
Ludwick, 72,
of Dallas, died February 25, 2022. She received her law degree from
Southern Methodist University School of Law and was admitted to the
Texas Bar in 1974. Ludwick was an assistant district attorney and later
the chief felony prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney’s
Office from 1974 to 1988 and was the founder and managing partner in
Ludwick & Anderson, later Ludwick & Associates, from 1988 to
2020. She is remembered as a skillful and tenacious lawyer, a trusted
and respected counselor, and a true and loyal friend. Ludwick is
survived by her sisters, Linda Stanley and Cathy Rhine.
David E. Fast
Fast, 75, of
Robstown, died October 11, 2020. He received his law degree from South
Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1983. Fast was
a missionary to Africa and a preacher and taught physics, upper level
math, and the Bible at the Namwianga Christian Secondary School in
Zambia, Africa; a briefing attorney with the 13th Court of Appeals in
Corpus Christi for criminal law and civil law; a solo practitioner in
Corpus Christi from 1983 to 2020; a trained mediator in Nueces County
from 2014 to 2020; and admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the 5th Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court from 1983 to 2020. He was a
life member of Tau Beta Pi and president of the Five Points Civitan Club
in Corpus Christi. Fast is remembered for being born in Colorado
Springs, Colorado; having a mechanical engineering degree from Wichita
State University; and having a master’s degree in New Testament from
Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee. He
is survived by his brother, John Fast, and sisters, Linda Snow and Nancy
Golden.
Lucien Benton Campbell
Campbell,
77, of San Antonio, died June 30, 2020. He received his law degree at
the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar
in 1967. Campbell served in the U.S. Army Infantry OCS in 1968. He was a
defender and prosecutor in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps
in Korea from 1968 to 1970, an assistant criminal district attorney with
the Bexar County Criminal District Attorney’s Office in San Antonio from
1970 to 1975, and a federal public defender with the U.S. District Court
for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio from 1975 to 2007.
Campbell received the Dorsey Award from the American Bar Association in
2007, was inducted into the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Hall of Fame
in 2010, and is the namesake of the Lucien B. Campbell Award for
Exemplary Service from the San Antonio chapter of the Federal Bar
Association and St. Mary’s University School of Law. He is remembered
for his love of music, travel, and cards. Campbell is survived by his
wife of 46 years, Cynthia Montoto Campbell; son, Evan Benton Campbell;
brother, William Morrow Campbell; sisters, Catherine Lavern Campbell
Lowak, Kelly Lynn Campbell Shivers, and Vicky Ann Campbell; and two
grandchildren.
Raymond James Grill
Grill, 80, of
Bellingham, Washington, died November 20, 2020. He received his law
degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to
the Texas Bar in 1969. Grill served in the U.S. Army and was stationed
in Berlin, Germany. He was a solo practitioner in Bastrop. Grill is
remembered for being a world traveler, loving golfing with his wife, and
his love of Broadway theater. He is survived by his wife of 29 years,
Pamela Grill; sons, Steven Grill, attorney Phillip Slaughter, Larry
Schubert, Bill Powers, and Eric Robinson; and one grandchild.
David R. Finney
Finney, 88, of
Fort Worth, died January 18, 2022. He received his law degree from the
University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1958. Finney served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1961 as an
assistant staff judge advocate at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma;
assistant city attorney with the city of Fort Worth from 1961 to 1962; a
state representative for Tarrant County in the
Texas House of Representatives from 1963 to 1977; a solo practitioner in
Fort Worth from 1962 to 1981; attorney with Miteff and Finney Law Firm
from 1981 to 2006; and a solo practitioner in Fort Worth from 2006 to
2012. Finney is remembered for carrying a family tradition of farming
and ranching, specifically breeding Limousin cattle; receiving his
master of business administration from the University of Chicago in
1970; and valuing integrity, loyalty, and generosity in his professional
career and in his personal life. He is survived by his spouse of 28
years, Sandra Gonzales.TBJ
