|
Justice Marian P. Opala passed away on Monday, Oct. 11, 2010, after suffering a massive stroke. Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, at All Souls’ Episcopal Church, 6400 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City.
He was born in 1921 in Lodz, Poland and became a United States citizen in 1953, the same year he graduated from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. In 1957, he earned a BSB degree in economics from OCU and in 1968 his master of law degree from New York University School of Law. Justice Opala began his legal career as assistant county attorney in Oklahoma County and held this position until 1956 when he entered private practice. He first served the Supreme Court of Oklahoma as a referee from 1960 to 1965. Later he was staff lawyer for Justice Rooney McInerney. For nine years (from 1969 to 1977) he directed the state’s court system as its first administrative director. He served as judge on the State Industrial Court when it was renamed (in 1977-1978) the Workers’ Compensation Court.
On Nov. 21, 1978, the then-governor, now OU President David Boren appointed him to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. Voters retained him in 1980 for the unexpired term of his predecessor. In 1982, 1988 and 1994 he was retained for six-year terms. He served as the court’s chief justice from Jan. 1, 1991 to Dec. 31, 1992. The author of numerous legal papers, Justice Opala was an adjunct professor in three law schools—at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University and the University of Tulsa—and a frequent lecturer at various national judicial and legal education programs. Since 1982, he had been an Oklahoma commissioner in the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. A member of the Order of the Coif and the American Law Institute, he was appointed in December 1993 as a public member of the Administrative Conference of the United States.
OBA President Allen Smallwood of Tulsa said, “Justice Opala was a well respected legal scholar, a true intellect and a giant in developing the jurisprudence in this state. In addition to his work on the bench, he was very generous in the giving of his time to teaching and lecturing on the law, which was his true passion. Justice Opala was a classic American immigrant success story.? As a teenager he fought the Germans in the Second World War for his native Poland, immigrated to the United States and ended up as a justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. We will all miss him, and he leaves tremendously large shoes to fill.”
View a recent 60-minute television interview with Justice Opala, conducted by OBA member and OETA news anchor Dick Pryor. You can also read Mr. Pryor’s review of that interview on his blog.
Tributes for Justice Opala
- Gov. Brad Henry
With the passing of Justice Marian Opala, Oklahoma has lost a judicial giant. During his many decades of service to this state, Justice Opala was always a consummate professional and a dedicated jurist. With his hard work, legal expertise and passion for the law and public service, Marian Opala helped make Oklahoma a far better place than it was when he first arrived here as an immigrant many years ago. We are saddened by Justice Opala’s passing and will miss him very much, but we will never forget his lifetime of service or his love of this great state. Our thoughts and prayers are with Justice Opala’s family and his many friends. - OCU Law School Dean Lawrence Hellman
The OCU LAW community is heartbroken over Justice Opala’s sudden death. We have lost a legal giant.? As our first alumnus to be appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, his impact on this law school was immeasurable.? His boundless energy and intellectual vitality left friends and admirers with the belief he would always be with us.? While we mourn his passing, we know that he has left a legacy that will inspire future generations of students and alumni to always believe in themselves and to always reach for excellence.? When our law school established an award for lifetime achievement in law some ten years ago, Marian Opala was the inaugural recipient, and the award was then named in his honor.? He continued his lifetime of achievement to the end.? Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. - Supreme Court Chief Justice James Edmondson
Justice Opala was a magnificent man with a shining intellect, a great sense of humor and an indomitable spirit. - Supreme Court Vice Chief Justice Steven Taylor
I want to call him an intellectual giant who will be missed.? Even though he was 89 years old, he was truly a student of the law. - Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Kauger
He was passionate; he was learned. He was our resident expert on the common law…we used to tease him sometimes a little bit about his expertise. But he was a scholar and prided himself on being a scholar. - OCU Law School President Robert Henry
Marian Opala was a patriot and a scholar. He launched his legal career at Oklahoma City University School of Law and rose to the very pinnacle of his profession. OCU will miss his advice, his scholarship and his trusteeship and I will miss a friend of 34 years. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family. - Senate Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee
He epitomizes the very best of public service, representing our state?s highest court with tremendous dignity and professionalism. I know many people are surprised when they learn the polite and friendly juror with a wonderful sense of humor was a part of the Polish underground in World War II fighting for freedom. - House Speaker Chris Benge
Opala’s life proved the continuing reality of the American Dream. As an immigrant to the United States, he rose to the highest ranks of our legal profession. That he did so in Oklahoma is a source of great pride for our state. From his days fighting Nazis as part of the Polish underground to his work on the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Justice Opala?s life was committed to justice. He was a remarkable man who leaves a remarkable legacy. - Former OU Law School Dean Andy Coats
This is an end of a judicial era for Oklahoma. For a man of diminutive size, he was a giant. His decisions and the way he articulated them over the years were splendid.
|
