In Memoriam 2020

from San Antonio Lawyer, March/April 2021

Charles Manson, Fifty Years Later, Part II: The Investigation

Gordon Dion Bailey died in July at the age of 81. The California native joined the Air Force following graduation from Los Angeles Valley Junior College. Bailey was based in Thailand during the Vietnam War and later served in the war operations division of the Strategic Air Command. He completed his undergraduate studies while in the military and went to law school following his 1980 retirement from the military. Upon graduation from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1983, Bailey began his twenty-year career as a criminal defense attorney.

Damon Ball died in October at the age of 89. Born and raised in Mississippi, Ball was a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. Upon graduation, he worked with an insurance adjusting firm and, in 1958, he moved to San Antonio to work for USAA as a claims examiner. He earned his law degree in night law school at St. Mary’s University and joined the law firm of Groce & Hebdon (later Groce, Locke & Hebdon) in 1963. Ball and nine partners from that firm formed Ball & Weed, P.C. in 1991. Ball was an exceptional trial attorney. He was a longtime supporter of, and pro bono legal counsel for, Medina Children’s Home.

Damon Ball was a true Southern gentleman and a gracious host, who possessed a quick wit and a sense of humor. Damon was also a formidable force. He was prevented from serving his country due to limitations with his eyesight, but he strongly supported our military men and women. Damon was a man of great conviction and integrity. Adversaries rarely felt indifferent to, or about, Damon, but no one could deny that he was honest, well-prepared, thorough, and fiercely loyal to his team, his clients, his family, his church, and his profession. Many predicted that Damon would never really “retire” and that he would always hang around and practice law in some capacity. To the contrary, Damon did retire, and he attacked retirement with the same energy with which he practiced law. One was able to see a different side of Damon in those years. He spent his time with those who meant the most to him—his children, grandchildren, friends and, most important, the one person who harnessed his energy—Sally B. Damon and Sally travelled extensively in retirement and created many treasured memories in their sixtyone years together. Damon taught many the value of hard work, integrity, and loyalty. He will be greatly missed.

- J.K. Leonard, Naman Howell Smith & Lee, PLLC

Richard T. Brady died in November at the age of 90. Brady grew up on his family’s ranch in Carrizo Springs. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College and began his career in the energy industry as a landman with Lone Star Producing Company. He attended night law school at St. Mary’s University and, upon graduation, joined Cox, Smith, Smith, Hale & Guenther Incorporated, later Cox Smith Matthews. He retired from practice in 2010. Brady was a past Chair of the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Section of the Texas Bar, and he was a member of its Council from 1977 through 1986.

Lucien Campbell died in June at the age of 77. Campbell was born in Paris, Texas. He grew up in Dallas and San Antonio and graduated from Alamo Heights High School. He received his law degree from the University of Texas in 1967. He was an assistant criminal District Attorney in Bexar County for several years prior to being selected in 1975 as the first Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Texas. He held that position for thirty-two years until his retirement in 2007.

Lucien Benton Campbell was a nationally respected criminal defense attorney. A former prosecutor, Lucien was named the first Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Texas in 1975. When asked why he left the law enforcement side of the bar, Lucien proudly answered that he was still in law enforcement—he worked to enforce the most important law, the United States Constitution. Lucien led his office for thirty-two years, teaching his assistants by his own fine example. He was meticulously prepared for every case, known for his integrity, and admired for his broad knowledge of the law. Beloved and respected by his assistants and support staff, Lucien was affectionately known as “Jefe,” the chief of his office clan. Devoted to the defense of the indigent and to providing the best representation possible, Lucien guided the expansion of his office from three attorneys in San Antonio, to forty-six attorneys working in four cities. Under Lucien’s leadership, the Defender’s office argued and won three cases before the United States Supreme Court, an enviable feat in any lawyer’s book. But Lucien was not just a lawyer. He was a true Renaissance man. He had a private pilot’s license in his early days as Defender. He spoke fluent Spanish and French. He was well-traveled and well-read; had an encyclopedic knowledge of wine and fine food; appreciated opera, jazz, classical music, and a good single-malt scotch; and loved a good bridge game.

- Carolyn Fuentes

Charles Alan Ferguson died in October. Ferguson was born in Fulton, Missouri. He doublemajored in English and French and earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University. Following graduation in 1965, Ferguson joined the San Antonio law firm of McGown, McClanahan and Hamner. Several years later, he became Assistant General Counsel at GPM Life Insurance Company. Ferguson worked at GPM Life for more than fifty years, ultimately becoming Senior Vice President and Senior Corporate Counsel.

Timothy Tynan “Ty” Griesenbeck, Jr. died in March at the age of 68. After his graduation from Antonian High School, Griesenbeck attended Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the Ross Volunteers. He received his law degree from St. Mary’s University and was Assistant Editor of the Law Review. Following service in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, Griesenbeck joined the only law firm for which he would work—now named Plunkett, Griesenbeck and Mimari, Inc.

Ty practiced law for over forty years, combining San Antonio and his service in the JAG Corps, before being taken by the disease he had raised so much money to defeat—leukemia. Ty was a trial lawyer, with dozens of civil trials to his credit and many in the criminal courts of the Army. He served as President of the San Antonio Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and then as Delegate to the national organization. He also was a Director of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. An immaculate dresser with a wonderful sense of humor, he appeared for any hearing, deposition or meeting with a smile and kind words; though he could and did get serious if it fit the situation. When faced with a lack of civility, Ty would not respond in kind, but remained a true professional and a gentleman. He was a man with many friends and few enemies. He devoted countless hours to the postconviction habeas work for a capital murder defendant and a jailed civil defendant in federal court. He served as Chair of the Board at the Witte Museum during a major fundraising campaign and served with his fellow Cavaliers in their efforts. Some choose to take their entire family to Disney World. Ty chose to take each grandchild separately, likely thinking it would be a better experience for them to have the one on one. It was part of being the consummate family man.

- Lewin Plunkett

Peter York Henry died in July at the age of 69. Henry received his undergraduate degree from Ohio University and his law degree from St. Mary’s University. Henry was a sole practitioner, concentrating on personal injury and family law.

Warner Lamoine Holland died in December at the age of 87. Holland, a sixth generation Texan, was born in San Antonio. He played varsity football at Edison High School and attended Rice University on a football scholarship. In his senior year, he signed to play professional football with the Detroit Lions, but the Army drafted him and sent him to Germany instead. He was a 1963 graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law. Holland practiced for fifty years and served two terms in the Texas Legislature from 1967-71.

Caitlin Burns Howell died in November at the age of 36. A San Antonio native, she attended St. Mary’s Hall and Keystone School and graduated from Trinity University with honors in 2005. She received her law degree from American University Washington College of Law. Howell practiced law in San Antonio with her husband, Adam Sabrin.

LeRoy Morgan Jahn died in March at the age of 76. Jahn was born in an American oil camp in Venezuela. She attended American School in the camp and, in the 9th grade, was sent to boarding school at Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Jahn received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas. She began her legal career with the Department of Labor in Washington, specializing in Equal Pay for Women actions. She married Ray Jahn in 1969 and returned to San Antonio in 1972. She helped establish the Western District appellate section for the United States Attorney’s office and was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for thirty-four years. Jahn was an accomplished trial attorney and tried many cases with her husband, Ray Jahn.

LeRoy Morgan Jahn was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas from 1978- 81, creating and leading the new criminal appellate section. Jahn was detailed to investigation, prosecution, and appeals related to the murder of United States District Judge John H. Wood and the attempted murder of Assistant United States Attorney James Kerr. She was chief of the appellate section of the Western District of Texas from 1986-92; was special assistant to the director of the FBI in Washington, D.C., from 1992-93; was detailed to the investigation, prosecution, and appeals related to the death of four law enforcement agents at the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco; was part of the Whitewater investigation; and worked in the United States Attorney’s Office in San Antonio from 1998 to 2010 with her husband, Assistant United States Attorney W. Ray Jahn. She was recognized by Federally Employed Women for being the first female Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Texas. Jahn headed an internship program at St. Mary’s University that allowed seniors to work directly on appeals and trials in the United States Attorney’s Office, leading to clerkships for many. She coached the first moot court team from St. Mary’s to win the State Bar of Texas Moot Court Competition. Jahn was known for her cooking skills and willingness to organize and direct social engagements for work and for her friends outside of the office.

- W. Ray Jahn

Bryan Louis Kost died in April at the age of 62. Born in San Antonio, Kost graduated from Alamo Heights High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from St. Mary’s University. Kost practiced in the area of federal procurement, claims litigation, and contract administration. In 2017 Kost joined the Dykema law firm as a senior attorney. He was a past President of the William S. Sessions Inn of Court and a recipient of the Inn’s Goldstein Award of Excellence.

Edgar Lawrence Leissner died in October at the age of 96, a few months after the death of his wife. The San Antonio native received undergraduate degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from Texas A&I (Kingsville). His high school sweetheart and then wife, Harriett Belle Upshaw, worked as a secretary at the college to help pay for his education. Leissner worked as a petroleum engineer before obtaining his law degree from the University of Denver in 1968. He worked in the legal department of Valero Energy Corporation.

John Robinson “Jack” Locke, Jr. died in September at the age of 96. Locke graduated from Texas Military Institute in 1942 and attended Woodberry Forest Preparatory School (Virginia) before attending the University the Texas. In 1943, Locke volunteered for service in the Army Air Force and was trained in basic aeronautics, in preparation for transfer to the Pacific Theatre. The war ended before Locke was assigned. He returned to Austin and earned both his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Texas. In 1950, Locke joined his father’s firm, Kelso, Locke & King (ultimately, Groce, Locke & Hebdon). Locke served on the Board of Directors of Cullen Frost, in addition to being legal counsel to Frost Bank. Locke was active in many community service and social organizations, including the Texas Cavaliers and the Conopus Club.

Bruce McKay Miller died in November 2019 at the age of 88. Miller was born in Brady, Texas. He attended Texas A&M College on an academic scholarship and graduated in 1952 with a degree in Agricultural Economics. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army upon graduation and served for twenty years, retiring in 1972. Miller received his law degree from St. Mary’s University in 1973 and entered private practice. He was Board Certified in Personal Injury Law and practiced in both El Paso and San Antonio. In 1978, Miller was ordained as an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and was active in the Walk to Emmaus community in South Texas.

Richard Brennan Moore died in July at the age of 86. Moore was born in Watertown, South Dakota. He was a graduate of Alamo Heights High School. He graduated from Vanderbilt University (1956) and received his law degree from the University of Texas (1960). He entered private practice with the San Antonio firm that became Gresham, Davis, Gregory, Worthy and Moore. Moore was Board Certified in both Commercial Real Estate and Farm and Ranch Real Estate Law. He served as president of the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County and on the boards of several other community service organizations. He was a member of the German Club, the Order of the Alamo, and the Texas Cavaliers.

Hon. Ray Jesse Olivarri, Jr. died in January, at the age of 64, following a long illness. Olivarri, a San Antonio native, attended Burbank High School. He graduated from Southwest Texas State University and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. His was a life of public service: Zoning Commissioner, Adult Probation Officer, and jurist. He served as Judge of Bexar County Court at Law No. 6, the 399th Judicial District Court, and the 144th Judicial District Court.

Ray was an extraordinary human being—an incredible husband, father, grandfather, friend, and coach. Though perhaps not the best fisherman, he always enjoyed posing for photographs with fish caught by others. Ray had an infectious sense of humor and could make anyone laugh. He would joke until the day he passed. Ray never let on how serious his condition was because he never wanted anyone to worry. He once told me he was going to the grocery store when, in fact, he was going to the hospital. He would gaze at the birds on a power line and contemplate why each one decided to face a certain way. When my own wife passed away with cancer a few years ago, he showed more concern about my loss than even about his own health. Those of us who were fortunate enough to know Ray are much better for having had him as a friend, colleague, and mentor. Ray devoted most of his adult life to serving the San Antonio area community, and he loved every minute of it. His legacy is one of positivity, responsibility, and fellowship. He will be missed sorely.

- Judge Ron Rangel

Sarah Soret Nickodam died in September at the age of 31. Nickodam graduated from Austin College (2011) and received her law degree from St. Mary’s University (2015). She clerked for the Honorable Craig Gargotta, United States Bankruptcy Judge, for two years. Recently, she had joined the San Antonio law firm of Brown and Ortiz and had embarked on a new path in the law. Her tragic death occurred one day following the birth, to Sarah and Chad Nickodam, of their son Eric Wesley Nickodam.

Marion A. “Al” Olson, Jr. died in June at the age of 73. Olson was born in San Antonio and was Student Body President in his senior year at Alamo Heights High School. He earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas. Following military service, he enrolled at St. Mary’s University School of Law, from which he graduated at the top of his class. Olson entered private practice and was soon appointed Trustee to oversee the administration of Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases and plans in San Antonio—a position which he held for thirtythree years. Olson received national recognition for his dedication and success in creating a Chapter 13 program. He was equally dedicated to the community. He served as King Antonio LXIII and helped create what is now known as the Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation. Olson was also President of the Metropolitan YMCA and President of the German Club, and for many years, he coordinated the production of the Fiesta Coronation.

Debra Lynn Parker died in September at the age of 66. Parker was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and raised in Tyler, Texas. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas. In her first career, Parker was a teacher for the hearing impaired at the Texas School for the Deaf. She earned her law degree at St. Mary’s University, from which she graduated in 1995. In her second career as a sole practitioner, Parker focused on criminal, juvenile, and family law matters.

Jack Minyard Partain, Jr. died in June of this year at the age of 71. Partain was born in San Antonio and graduated from Alamo Heights High School. He was a graduate of the University of Texas and received his law degree from St. Mary’s University. Partain specialized in commercial bankruptcy law. He practiced for more than thirty years, most of which were as a partner at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (which later merged into Norton Rose Fulbright).

In the summer of 1965, sixteen-yearold golfer Jack Partain shot a sixtythree at Oak Hills Country Club, setting the course record, and beating his previous best of sixty-five when he was fifteen. He went on to marry his high school sweetheart and together they raised two daughters. I could talk about Jack’s lawyering skills, which were substantial, but I think that Jack, humble as he was, would have wanted me to change the subject quickly. It was the same thing when his health issues came up; he would divert the conversation to “well, how’s the family?” or something like that. Jack was not one to bask in praise or wallow in sympathy. He was nicknamed “Gentleman Jack” for good reason; that was his reputation. What I will say is this: Jack Partain, simply by his example of professionalism, civility, honesty, decency, compassion, kindness, and love of family, made all those around him better. We need more people like that.

- Steve A. Peirce

John McPherson Pinckney, III died in December at the age of 80. He attended the University of Texas and was a member of the 1962 Longhorns Baseball Team that finished third in the College World Series. He was a Marine Corps infantry officer from 1963-67. Following military service, Pinckney received his law degree from American University Washington College of Law. Prior to private practice, Pinckney served as Assistant United States Attorney from 1973-77 and was first Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District from 1975- 77. Pinckney was Board Certified in both Criminal and Civil Trial Law and tried more than 150 jury cases to a verdict.

William Steele Sessions died in June at the age of 90. Sessions was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He enrolled in the University of Kansas in 1948. However, with the Korean conflict escalating, he enlisted in the Air Force and remained on active duty at Connelly Air Force Base in Waco until 1955. He completed his undergraduate studies and attended law school at Baylor University. Upon graduation from law school in 1958, he entered private practice in Waco. He became active in the community, the local and State Bar, and Republican politics. In 1969, he was appointed Chief of the Government Operations Section, Criminal Division of the Department of Justice and went to Washington. In 1971, he was appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. In 1974, President Ford appointed Sessions to the Western District bench, El Paso Division. Upon the untimely death of the Hon. John H. Wood, Sessions returned to San Antonio. Sessions remained on the bench until 1987, when President Reagan appointed him to be the Director of the FBI. He left government service in 1993, ultimately returned to private practice, and retired in 2017.

William S. “Bill” Sessions lived a life dedicated to service to his country and to others, with a deep respect for the United States Constitution and the rule of law. Meeting each day with energy and optimism, he had a kind word for all he met. He possessed a quick wit, a self-deprecating sense of humor, and courage in the face of adversity. Overcoming polio paralysis as a teenager, his enlistment in the Air Force during the Korean War led to his flying B-25s as a radar intercept instructor, and to a deep love of Texas skies and mountains. His willingness to tackle even the smallest of jobs and his knack for problem-solving were trademarks, along with his love of a good hand of cards and a tune to whistle. He perennially referred to himself as a “clod,” yet he surrounded himself with art, music (especially jazz), theater, and poetry simply for “the beauty.” It was beauty that sent him trekking in the Western mountains, and finally led him to Mount Everest, twice. Judge Sessions: dedicated to family and education, mentor to many, admirer of lawyers and the bar, and of those who dare to do their very best with a belief in personal responsibility and respect for all. A great father, citizen, lawyer, judge, and human being.

- Mark Sessions

Bruce Kirk Spindler died in October at the age of 61. Spindler was born in Akron, Ohio, but, in his youth, he lived in Mexico City, Pottstown (Pennsylvania), and Austin, among other places. He attended the University of Texas and received his law degree from Texas Tech University in 1988. Following a clerkship with Justice Craig Enoch (5th Court of Appeals), he moved to San Antonio and joined the Soules & Wallace law firm, which later merged into Langley & Banack, Inc.

Cecil L. “Don” Strong died in August. Strong was born in Dublin, Texas. He attended East Texas State University (now known as Texas A&M University—Commerce), where he lettered in track. Strong enrolled in the ROTC program and served in the Air Force for several years after graduation. He entered the insurance industry following military service. While working for Travelers Insurance, Strong attended St. Mary’s University School of Law and received his degree in 1971. He worked as a claims attorney until 1992, when he joined the Austin law firm of Flahive, Ogden and Latson.

James Mott Summers died in February at the age of 68. Summers was born in Houston. He graduated from Southern Methodist University (1973) and received his law degree from the University of Texas (1976). He practiced his entire legal career as a real estate and oil and gas attorney at Norton Rose Fulbright. Summers was perennially recognized as one of the best attorneys in his field, and he was named an Outstanding Lawyer in 2010 by the San Antonio Business Journal.

Arthur C. Troilo, Jr. died in October at the age of 89. The San Antonio native was both president and valedictorian of the 1948 graduating class of Central Catholic High School. He held a double major in English and Spanish from St. Mary’s University (1952). He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army and served in Germany from 1953-54. Troilo received his law degree from the University of Texas in 1957 and joined the San Antonio City Attorney’s Office. In 1962 he joined the law firm of Sawtelle, Hardy, Davis & Goode, and was one of the founders of Sawtelle, Goode, Troilo & Leighton. He served as managing partner and senior board chairman of Davidson, Troilo, Ream & Garza, and was Senior Counsel with the firm at the time of his death. Troilo’s devotion to good government and public service in San Antonio and its environs was unparalleled.

Arthur C. Troilo, Jr.—a beloved brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, valedictorian, soldier, esteemed counselor, mentor, citizen-leader, and steward of good government in San Antonio and Bexar County, died October 8, 2020. Troilo received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and was a member of the Texas Bar for over sixty-four years. He served as First Assistant City Attorney for the City of San Antonio from 1960-62. Then, he was a founder of the law firm Sawtelle, Goode, Troilo & Leighton, which later became the firm of Davidson & Troilo, which is now known as Davidson, Troilo, Ream & Garza. Troilo served as outside general counsel for the Port Authority of San Antonio and was active in civic programs and politics. He was a pillar and guiding light for his law firm, clients, and public officials, and he could always be relied on to bring sage counsel to any situation. His measured words of advice were worth the listen. Mr. Troilo was a gentleman of noble character, a leader who led by example, and an icon of the San Antonio legal community. He was preceded in death by the love of his life and wife of sixty-seven years Nancy Sullivan Troilo and his son Peter Troilo. He is survived by his sister, Carmen Troilo Wasson; his children, attorney Arthur Troilo III, Valerie Troilo Perrenot, and Paul Troilo; his six grandchildren; and his two greatgrandchildren.

- Arthur Troilo III

Robert W. Wachsmuth died in December at the age of 78. Wachsmuth was born in Crowell, Texas. He attended the University of Texas— receiving his undergraduate degree in 1965 and his law degree in 1966. He was a Captain in the Marine Corps and served as a JAG officer during the Vietnam War. Wachsmuth was a fierce and accomplished litigator. He was a longtime active member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church and supported many civic and environmental causes, including Wounded Warriors, the Sigma Nu Foundation, and the Texas Coastal Conservation Society.

In Memoriam 2020

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This article is from:

San Antonio Lawyer, March/April 2021