Memorials September 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.
Byron Keith Lovelace
Lovelace,
87, of Missouri City, died March 3, 2022. He received his law degree
from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1978. Lovelace was in private practice from 1980 to 2021. He was an
assistant governor and lieutenant governor of the Rotary International
District 5890 and was a director, vice chair, and chair-elect of the
Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce. Lovelace is remembered
for his dedication to his clients, having several longstanding employees
he viewed as family, and his commitment to community involvement. He is
survived by his wife of 60 years, Sandra Daniel Lovelace; son, Kirk
Daniel Lovelace; daughters, Bethany Howell and Amy Dawson; and six
grandchildren.
David West
West, 84, of
Clear Lake, died August 27, 2020. He received his law degree from South
Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1974. West was
in private practice for several years before being appointed by Gov.
Bill Clements as state district judge in 1983. In 1984, he was elected
state district judge for the 269th District Court, later was the Harris
County chief administrative judge, and returned to private practice in
1997. Before his life in law, West was an electrical engineer with the
Douglas Aircraft Company in Newport Beach, California, becoming head of
the environmental system for Skylab, the first U.S. space station
launched by NASA. He is remembered for his fairness, love of boat
building, and traveling the world. West is survived by his wife of 50
years, Gayle; daughters, Melissa Parker and Julie Scott; sons, Michael,
Glenn, and Blake; 13 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Edwin Henry Frank Jr.
Frank, 100, of
Houston, died January 2, 2022. He served in the U.S. Navy during World
War II (1942 to 1945). Frank received his law degree from the University
of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1948. He
practiced law in Houston, specializing in real property, and founded the
law firm that would later become Frank, Elmore, Lievens, Slaughter &
Turet. Frank was chair of the American Bar Association Committee on
Condominium and Cooperative Apartments and chair of the State Bar of
Texas General Practice Section; was active in church, serving as deacon
of the River Oaks Baptist Church for over 60 years and helping found the
River Oaks Baptist School; and was awarded for his military service,
receiving the American Campaign and Asiatic Pacific Theater Victory
medals and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. He is remembered for his
love of visiting with his family in Galveston and socializing at the
Artillery and Galveston Country Clubs. Frank is survived by his sons,
Edwin H. Frank III, Graham Frank Neuhaus, and Thomas McGehee Frank;
seven grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Gerald Emile Pitchford
Pitchford,
85, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, died February 18, 2021. He served in the
U.S. Marines for four years. Pitchford received his law degree from
South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1966. He
worked for the U.S. Defense Department Audit Agency; worked for the U.S.
Agency for International Development; and was a staff consultant on the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives for 18
years, with a specialty in 20 countries in Africa. Pitchford is
remembered for his love of travel, which began with a trip to Machu
Picchu. He is survived by his wife, Yara; brother, James Pitchford; and
sister, Judy Pitchford Bartley.
George A. Pelletier
Pelletier,
81, of Dallas, died May 13, 2021. He was in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate
General’s Corps. Pelletier received his law degree from the University
of Notre Dame and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1962. He practiced
with Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy and Laughlin in Midland before teaching at
Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he was a tenured
professor and associate dean for academic affairs until 1973. Pelletier
was in private practice and after 1990, practiced under Pelletier &
Associates. He was a member of the Faculty Senate at SMU School of Law
and secretary-treasurer of the State Bar of Texas Corporation, Banking,
and Business Law Section and a member of the section council. Pelletier
is remembered for being active in the construction and development of
real estate in Dallas and Austin, concentrating in recent years on the
State Thomas historic area of Dallas, where he had his office; planning
and developing Rancho de Vallecitos, a fly-fishing community located in
northern New Mexico near Santa Fe and Taos on the Rio Vallecitos; and
for enjoying traveling internationally with Jim Hailey, his companion of
more than 30 years, and Evelyn Biery, a friend of more than 50 years.
Rocky Little
Little, 66, of
Fort Worth, died May 7, 2022. He received his law degree from the
University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1987. Little was an attorney with the Wester Company of North America
from 1987 to 1990, Kraus Ramirez & Little from 1990 to 2000, Henslee
Fowler Hepworth & Schwartz from 2001 to 2003, and Fanning Harper
Martinson Brandt & Kutchin from 2004 to 2022. He was certified in
personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in
1999. Little is remembered for his intelligence, joy for life, and love
of all things Texan. He is survived by his sisters.
Judith C. Vernon
Vernon, 80,
of Evant, died May 5, 2022. She received her law degree from South Texas
College of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1981. Vernon taught
math in Louisiana and Texas from 1963 to 1981 and was in-house counsel
to Armco Inc. and National Oilwell in Houston from 1981 to 1989. She was
appointed by Gov. George W. Bush to the Brazos River Authority Board of
Directors and elected in 1999 as the board’s first elected female
president, was chair of the Coryell County Republican Party, and was a
full-time ranch hand. Vernon is survived by her husband, Leon; son,
Wayne Caskey; daughter, Ellen Bedingfield; and brothers, Bob Cruikshank,
Tom Cruikshank, and Bill Cruikshank.
Jerry C. Gilmore
Gilmore, 88,
of Dallas, died March 30, 2022. He received his law degree from the
University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1957. Gilmore practiced law with Green Gilmore Crutcher Rothpletz &
Burke, Vial Hamilton Koch & Knox, and Shannon Gracey Ratliff &
Miller and served as the city attorney with the cities of Murphy,
DeSoto, Flower Mound, Cockrell Hill, and Buckingham. He was president of
the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, received the Justinian Award
from the Dallas Lawyers Auxiliary in recognition of his outstanding
dedication to volunteer service benefiting the community of Dallas, and
received the Distinguished Health Service Award from the Dallas-Fort
Worth Hospital Council. Gilmore is remembered for his love of music,
spending time with his family, and running in the great outdoors. He is
survived by his wife of 13 years, Janie Means; sons, attorney Daniel B.
Gilmore and Charles A. Gilmore; daughter, Susan L. Moore; seven
grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Christopher Michael Fostel
Fostel,
47, of Odessa, died March 24, 2022. He received his law degree from
Texas Wesleyan School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 2001.
Fostel was an assistant district attorney in Cooke County and Ector
County and was in private practice with Chris Fostel Attorney at Law. He
is remembered as a loving and devoted husband and father; enjoying
spending time in the cool mountain air of Ruidoso, New Mexico, and Lake
Bridgeport with his family and friends; and loving to debate politics
and listen to Texas country music until the early hours. Fostel is
survived by his wife of 12 years, Gabby Fostel; son, Wyatt Fostel;
daughter, Eden Fostel; mother, Cheryl Fostel; and brother, Josh
Fostel.
John F. Schaffer III
Schaffer, 81,
of Houston, died April 20, 2022. He received his law degree from the
University of Texas School of Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1965. Schaffer was in private practice as a civil trial specialist. He
is remembered for his love of woodworking and soccer. Schaffer is
survived by his son, John F. Schaffer IV; daughter, Lisa S. Hickey;
sister, Lillyanne Cowherd-Moody; and two grandchildren.
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 both national and international clients,
including Fortune 500 Companies. Byrd served on the Texas Bar Journal
Board of Editors, on several Dallas Bar Association committees, and as a
faculty member and instructor for the Texas Association of Defense
Counsel Trial Academy, where she taught practicing attorneys how to
further develop their trial skills. She was certified in personal injury
trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and as a mediator
by the National Health Lawyers’ Association/ American Academy of
Healthcare Attorneys. Along with her career in the law, she is also
remembered as an accomplished painter, photographer, writer, chef, and
traveler. Byrd is survived by her husband of 45 years, John Byrd; son,
John Byrd Jr.; two granddaughters, Siena and Simone Byrd; sister,
Theresa Johnson Miller; and brother; Russell Johnson.
Paul Anthony D’Aloisio
D’Aloisio,
69, of Allen, died April 19, 2022. He received his law degree from State
University of New York, Buffalo and was admitted to the Texas Bar in
1986. D’Aloisio was a member of the Washington, D.C.; Massachusetts; and
Washington State bars. He was an associate of Taylor & Bryan in
Seattle from June 1982 to August 1983; an associate of Jones, Day,
Reavis & Pogue in Dallas from November 1985 to April 1988; an
associate of Stoel Rives Boley Jones & Grey in Seattle from April
1988 to March 1991; a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice
in Washington, D.C., from April 1991 to January 1992; and a litigation
attorney with Short Cressman & Burgess in Seattle from February 1995
to September 1996; and in-house senior assistant general counsel to
Dallas Area Rapid Transit from May 1998 to November 2020, handling
complex procurement and contract matters. D’Aloisio published two
articles in the Public
Contract Law Journal: “Accusations of Criminal Conduct by
Government Contractors” and “Design Responsibility of Government
Contractors.” He is remembered for working on projects and assignments
with his sons when they were young and helping coach their various
sports teams, being a huge sports fan, and loving outdoor activities
with his family. D’Aloisio is survived by his wife, Leanne D’Aloisio;
sons, Anthony D’Aloisio and Greyson D’Aloisio; and sisters, Mary Flowers
and Carmela D’Aloisio.TBJ
