Honoring OBA members we have lost

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2026

February

Dorothy Johnston Amis of Austin, Texas, died May 10, 2025. She was born March 30, 1938, in Dallas. Ms. Amis graduated from the Hockaday School for Girls and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She received her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1979 and practiced in Oklahoma and Texas until her retirement at age 74. Ms. Amis enjoyed a long employment as a staff attorney to Federal Magistrate Judge Paul Stickney in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Texas. 

Jack D. Fisher of Edmond died Jan. 3. He was born April 25, 1951, in Guthrie. Mr. Fisher grew up in Crescent, where he was a three-sport star athlete, playing quarterback, shooting guard and catcher for the Tigers. He graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1975. After clerking for Judge Homer Smith and practicing with Bay, Hamilton, Renegar & Lees for a year, he started his own law practice with his wife. Mr. Fisher was a criminal law attorney and became one of the first in Oklahoma to be certified to handle federal habeas corpus cases.  

Bill G. Freudenrich Jr. of Tulsa died Oct. 31, 2025. He was born May 6, 1961, in Oklahoma City. He graduated from OSU, where he majored in accounting and was an active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1988 and practiced mainly in Employee Retirement Income Security Act law. His career spanned 40 years, with significant relationships formed at Mysock & Chevaillier; Boone, Smith, Davis, Hurst & Dickman; and McAfee & Taft, where he was a founding partner of the firm’s Tulsa office and from where he eventually retired. 

Cody E. Gilbert of Oklahoma City died Dec. 5, 2025. He was born Oct. 15, 1985, in Pauls Valley. Mr. Gilbert grew up in Garvin County in the Elmore City and Pauls Valley areas and graduated from Elmore City High School. He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 2011 and lived in the Oklahoma City area since 2004. 

Hali Klein Goss of Oklahoma City died Nov. 11, 2025. She was born March 28, 1961, in Tulsa. She graduated from TU with a bachelor’s degree and received her J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1992. Ms. Goss began her career with State Farm while attending law school. That career would span nearly 40 years, during which time she received multiple professional designations.  

John B. Hayes of Edmond died Nov. 24, 2025. He was born March 21, 1938, in Wilburton. He graduated from OSU and received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1962, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Phi Delta Phi. Mr. Hayes practiced law for more than 60 years. His legal career began at the law firm of Looney, Nichols, Johnson & Hayes before he co-founded Hayes Magrini & Gatewood, where he remained active throughout his life. He was a long-standing member of the American Bar Association, including the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee and the Forum on Construction Law. He also served as vice chair of the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee. He frequently lectured at ABA programs and the Defense Research Institute and authored numerous articles and treatise chapters on fidelity, surety and construction topics. 

Eddie Wayne Jackson Sr. of Oklahoma City died Nov. 5, 2024. He was born June 3, 1941, in Dimebox, Texas. Mr. Jackson graduated from Moore High School and received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1996. 

Michael David Lewis of Edmond died July 28, 2025. He was born Aug. 17, 1960, in Lawton. He graduated from Putnam City Original in 1978. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from OSU in 1982, where he was a member of the Oklahoma Beta Chapter of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He served as the fraternity’s president from 1981 to 1982 and later as a chapter advisor. Mr. Lewis received his J.D. from the O.W. Coburn School of Law at Oral Roberts University in 1986 and was a member of the law school’s last graduating class before it closed in 1986. He worked as an associate at the law firm of Looney, Nichols, Johnson & Hayes in Oklahoma City, where he practiced insurance defense, among other things. Mr. Lewis left the firm in 1990 to form his own practice and remained self-employed until his death.  

Steven Louis Little of Oklahoma City died June 29, 2025. He was born Feb. 10, 1956. Mr. Little received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1986.  

Donald L. McCorkell Jr. of Aliso Viejo, California, died March 25, 2025. He was born June 28, 1947, in Baltimore. Mr. McCorkell lived in Tulsa for most of his life before relocating to California. He graduated from TU with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received his J.D. from the TU College of Law. Mr. McCorkell represented Tulsa’s 72nd District in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1979 to 1996. During his 17-year tenure, he became known for his commitment to economic development, public education and bipartisan cooperation. In 1996, he stepped down from the Legislature to run for the U.S. Senate, and a decade later, he ran for mayor of Tulsa. After his political career, he focused on environmental documentary filmmaking and was passionate about literature and storytelling. 

Judge James Hardy Payne of Tulsa died Dec. 2, 2025. He was born March 3, 1941, in Lubbock, Texas. He graduated from high school in Stamford, Texas, in 1959. Judge Payne received a football scholarship from OU, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1963. He received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1966, and during law school, he served as a graduate assistant coach for the OU football team. Between 1966 and 1970, he served as a judge advocate general officer in the U.S. Air Force with Strategic Air Command at Columbus Air Force Base in Columbus, Mississippi. He served a temporary duty assignment at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and was discharged from active duty in 1970. Judge Payne moved to Oklahoma in 1970 and served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee. He briefly worked in private practice in Muskogee while serving as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. He resumed his Air Force service as a reserve JAG officer before retiring in 1992 as lieutenant colonel. In 1988, he was appointed as a full-time U.S. magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and then as a U.S. district judge by President Bush in 2001. He kept chambers and received cases in both the Eastern and Northern districts and served as the chief judge of the Eastern District from 2002 to 2017. He transitioned to inactive senior status in 2020.  

Michelle Goen Porta of Henderson, Nevada, died Jan. 8. She was born Jan. 28, 1948. Ms. Porta retired Jan. 3, 2023. She received her J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1978.  

John Ray Stacy of Oklahoma City died Dec. 7, 2025. He was born Dec. 31, 1949, in Oklahoma City. He graduated from Northwest Classen High School in 1968. Mr. Stacy attended OSU and OU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1975. After Mr. Stacy’s 31-year law career, he shifted his focus and became a founder of Striker Land Services. In recent years, he worked as an independent landman. He served on numerous committees and organizations and was honored widely for his service and involvement. 

James Ray Stout of Edmond died Nov. 30, 2025. He was born April 10, 1946, in Oklahoma City. He graduated from Classen High School and OU with a bachelor’s degree. Mr. Stout received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1972 and practiced law in Yukon for 48 years. He also served in the Marine Corps Reserve for four years. He was a member of the Choctaw Nation, and during his time at OU, he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.  

John Thomas Synowicki of Dallas died Dec. 28, 2025. He was born Feb. 11, 1984, in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from Millard North High School in 2002, where he was captain of both the varsity football team and the debate team. He attended Dana College, where he was captain of the football team, a three-time All-American and valedictorian. Mr. Synowicki triple majored in history, international studies and Spanish. He received his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School in 2010. During law school, he served as chief justice of the Vanderbilt Moot Court Board, was on the dean’s list, received the Thomas Banks Award, competed on the Jessup International Moot Court team and was a member of the Phi Delta Phi Honors Society. Mr. Synowicki worked for GableGotwals and Polsinelli Law Firm, where he was a shareholder. He was a frequent speaker across the country, and he helped shape policy, taught and lectured. 

January

Charles Wesley Barker Jr. of Collinsville died March 18. He was born Feb. 22, 1947, in Hobart. Mr. Barker received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1982.  

Deborah S. Arnold Block of Norman died Sept. 25. She was born Feb. 19, 1962, in Champaign, Illinois. She attended Norman High School and graduated from OU with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1984. Ms. Block received her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1987. She received both of her degrees with honors. She briefly began her career in litigation before leaving corporate practice in 1994 to manage Associated Metallurgists, where she worked with her father. 

Edward Lee Bowman of Grove died May 9. He was born May 16, 1946. Mr. Bowman received his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law in 1975. 

Kelley Charles Callahan of Edmond died Sept. 10. He was born Aug. 22, 1952, in Oklahoma City. He attended Colgate University on a baseball scholarship. Mr. Callahan received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1980 and proudly practiced law until his retirement.  

David Roger Cerchie of Vero Beach, Florida, died Sept. 8. He was born Sept. 7, 1946, in Joplin, Missouri. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and received his J.D. from the TU College of Law. Mr. Cerchie began his legal career practicing in Tulsa. In 1994, he cofounded VersaFlex, a polyurea and protective coating technologies company. The business expanded and eventually joined the PPG family of companies. He then moved to Vero Beach, where he served as treasurer of Bike Walk Indian River County. 

Renee Colbert of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died Feb. 27. She was born Feb. 3, 1955, in Shattuck. She attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University on a flute scholarship, where she was the featured majorette, and graduated from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1977. Ms. Colbert received her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1984. She practiced law in Oklahoma and later in western Pennsylvania, where she led Colbert Law. She shared her 40 years of experience with her fellow lawyers and paralegal students as a professor at the Western School of Business and later Duquesne University.  

Ronald V. Collier of Edmond died Oct. 13. He was born April 27, 1938, in Anadarko. He attended Geary High School, where he played football, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Mr. Collier taught history at Putnam City Schools while attending law school at night. He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1969. After graduation, he worked with the Oklahoma City municipal counselor’s office. He went on to join Mesis Law Office in Hennessy before returning to Edmond.  

Judge Louis Alvin Duel Jr. of Guthrie died Nov. 21. He was born May 8, 1963, in Guthrie, where he attended school and graduated in 1981. Mr. Duel earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma and attended law school in the evenings while serving as the Logan County undersheriff. He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law and was hired as an assistant district attorney in Logan County. Eight years later, he was appointed as a special judge by Judge Donald Worthington. Two years after that appointment, he was elected as Logan County associate district judge, a position he faithfully served in for the last 16.5 years. 

Norma Eagleton of Tulsa died Aug. 13. She was born March 19, 1934. She graduated with degrees from Stephens College and OU, and she received her J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1988. Ms. Eagleton became the first female commissioner (finance commissioner) on the Tulsa City Commission in 1976 and, in 1979, was the first woman to serve on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, the Claremore Hall of Fame and the Claremore Public Schools Hall of Fame. 

Tom Allen Frailey of Chickasha died Sept. 14. He was born July 1, 1951, in Stillwater and graduated from Perry High School in 1969. He received his bachelor’s degree in business from then-Central State University in 1973 and his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1976. Mr. Frailey began an internship at Vaughn, Stack & Huckaby in 1975 before eventually settling in Chickasha and becoming a partner, retiring in July 2017. He was the Chickasha city attorney for more than 40 years and served as the city attorney for Marlow, Comanche, Rush Springs and Alex. He was also a bar examiner, creating questions for the bar exam and grading them.  

Robert Richard Hamilton of Dallas died Oct. 30. He was born April 2, 1937, in Fort Worth. He received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1961. Mr. Hamilton joined the U.S. Army, which became a 42-year-long career. He served as an attorney for the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in St. Louis and then for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama, where he managed defense contracts.  

Helen M. Kannady of Jenks died July 29. She was born July 4, 1931, in Broken Arrow and graduated from Will Rogers High School. Fostering children inspired her to attend college to become a social worker, which then led her to law school to work in the juvenile court. The opening for a special judgeship at the juvenile bureau came before Ms. Kannady had finished law school. With special permission from the Oklahoma Supreme Court, she began the assignment with the assurance that she would complete law school and the bar exam. She received her J.D. from the TU College of Law. When the time was right, she stepped aside from that position to practice family law.   

Mark Dewayne Nation of Oklahoma City died Nov. 30. He was born Jan. 25, 1960, in Oklahoma City. Mr. Nation graduated from OU with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1991. His spinal cord injury led him to help others with social security disability and catastrophic personal injuries.  

Randy Clayton Parsons of Shawnee died July 20. He was born June 14, 1947, in Shawnee. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1965. Mr. Parsons attended East Central University after high school but was soon drafted into the military. He served in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft electrician during the Vietnam War from 1996 to 1970, when he was honorably discharged. He graduated from East Central University, where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, with a bachelor’s degree in English and history. Mr. Parsons received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1975. He started his legal career by joining his father’s law firm, which became Parsons & Parsons. In 1995, he opened his own practice, where he practiced until his retirement in 2013. He received his 50-year milestone anniversary pin as an OBA member in 2025. Mr. Parsons was also a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association. Even after retirement, he enjoyed talking to old clients and continuing to give legal advice. 

William W. Pritchard of Tulsa died March 17. He was born March 20, 1951, in Tulsa. He attended College High, where he played varsity basketball with his brother and best friends. Mr. Pritchard graduated with honors from the University of Kansas, where he pledged Sigma Chi, with a bachelor’s degree in history. He received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1975. He served as general counsel at Parker Drilling Co. for 23 years.  

Barbara Rauch of Oklahoma City died May 9, 2024. She was born April 26, 1944. Ms. Rauch finished high school on her own and graduated from OU. She received her J.D. from the OCU School of Law, during which time she interned at the Oklahoma attorney general’s office. Ms. Rauch became the chief environmental attorney for the state of Oklahoma after graduation. She relocated to the Cayman Islands for 12 years before returning to Oklahoma to work at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, where she was employed until she was 70.  

Marjorie Maria Redbird of Choctaw died Oct. 20. She was born March 11, 1954. Ms. Redbird received her J.D. from the OU College of Law.  

Larry Keith Shaw of Bethany died Sept. 14. He was born March 2, 1944, in Altus. Mr. Shaw graduated from Altus High School and OSU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in civil engineering and was honored with the Engineering Saint Patrick Salute Award. He served on the OSU Board of Engineers for several years and enjoyed meeting with engineering students. Mr. Shaw received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1975. He spent most of his career in the oil and gas business, especially working with offshore facilities. He lived overseas for several years in Singapore and England and conducted most of his work in the Middle East, China, Singapore, Europe and the North Sea. While there, he was always involved in coaching and working with the children of fellow expats at the American schools. After returning to the States, he retired from Fluor Corp. 

Tythe Hill Stites of Tulsa died Sept. 12. He was born March 22, 1956. He received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1984.  

Margaret P. Taylor of Durant died July 20. She was born Oct. 21, 1941, in Blanchard. Ms. Taylor graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and became a music teacher. She received her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1977. She practiced both criminal and civil law, and she was the second female lawyer in Durant. She gave much of her time to pro bono work, helping women in difficult situations and others in need. Ms. Taylor was involved in the Bryan County Bar Association, the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival, the Bryan County Federation of Democratic Women, Dayspring Church, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, the Chautauqua Women’s Club and the Chautauqua Bird, Tree & Garden Club.  

Charles W. Wright of Noble died Nov. 29. He was born Nov. 12, 1943, in New York City. He graduated from Grant High School in 1961 and earned his Ph.D. in sociology and anthropology in 1976 from the University of Notre Dame. He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1984. Mr. Wright taught sociology and criminology at OU and OCU. He finished his career practicing law in Norman, having worked at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. He was the co-author of numerous publications on sociological theory, mainly with Talcott Parsons.