December 2019
Hon. Louis M. Moore, JD '51
Hon. Louis M. Moore, born on March 28, 1921, passed away peacefully in Katy, Texas, on November 23, 2019. He was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico and moved to Ohio as a child. He was preceded in death by his mother, Josephine Fowler, and sister, Lucila Hamilton. Louis Moore was Judge of the 281st Civil District Court in Houston, Texas, for thirteen and a half years from 1981 until he retired in 1995. At that time, he assumed Senior District Judge Status and served as “Visiting Judge” for a few years after his retirement. In World War II, he served as a Naval Aviator Fighter Pilot, part of the VF-19 Fighter Squadron assigned to the U.S.S. Lexington. He attended Baylor University Law School after the war, obtaining his law degree, and practicing his profession for 30 years before taking the bench. Judge Moore was a member of The Texas College of the Judiciary, College of the State Bar of Texas, American Judges Association, National Conference of State and Trial Judges, American Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Houston Bar Association, American Judicature Society, and a “Fellow” of the Houston Bar Foundation. He had certificates from The National Judicial College and Harvard Law School Program of Instruction for Lawyers. He was on the faculty of the University of Houston Law School Trial Advocacy Program. Judge Moore was a member of Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carolann P. Moore; sons, Robert Moore and his wife Chenda, John Moore, and James Moore and his wife Carliz, and stepdaughter, Suzanne Denton Cohen; and a goodly number of nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Charles W. Oldham, JD '60
Charles W. Oldham, longtime Wichita Falls attorney, passed away Wednesday, December 4, 2019. Charles was born on July 4, 1933 in Dallas to the late William Jennings Bryan and Ingeberg (Johnson) Oldham. The family moved to Scarsdale, New York during his childhood. The family returned to Dallas where he graduated with honors from Woodrow Wilson High School. He attended the University of Texas, then volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army, including 16 months in Korea, where he served with the 75th Field Artillery, and later as an Artillery Survey and Fire Control Instructor at the NCO Academy of Korea. After completing his service, he received his law school training at Baylor University, where he earned his J.D. Degree. Charles entered private practice in Wichita Falls in 1960, and owned Oldham and Associates. He held Legal Specialization Certificates in Civil Trial and Personal Injury Trial Law and handled cases in Federal Courts in Amarillo, Lubbock, San Antonio, Pecos, Wichita Falls, Sherman, and Oklahoma City. He married Barbara Charlotte Gilleland, a native of North Carolina on December 18, 1973, and the couple were married for 34 years, until her passing in 2008. Charles was actively involved in his community, serving on several advisory boards. He served as president of the Wichita Falls Jaycees from 1967-1968. He was a past member of Downtown Rotary, Air Force Association, and Sertoma Club. Charles was also a member of the Wichita County Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Bar Association of the Fifth Circuit Court, Defense Research Institute, American Legion Post 202, and the Elk's Club. Charles served as a Director of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel on two occasions. He was a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and was presented the Boss of the Year Award by the Wichita County Legal Secretary's Association for 1983-1984. Charles had also served as a Director of Sertoma International, and as a Director of the original Community Action Corporation. He was also a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, where he had served in various capacities. He was a 50 year member of Faith Masonic Lodge #1158, Wichita Falls Lodge #635, Wichita Valley Scottish Rite Club, York Rite Bodies, and was a Past Potentate of Maskat Shrine Temple, where he served in various capacities including Parliamentarian, Chairman of the Necrology Committee, and served as the Temple attorney. Charles was active in the Foot Patrol, serving as president of the unit, Captain of the Drill Team, and performed with the team for many years in competitions. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; sisters Betty Oldham Little and Patsy Oldham Sparr; and brother-in-law Joe Gilleland and his wife Betty. Charles is survived by Barbara's nieces who were very close to him, Kole and Tiffany Kotulek and daughter Lexi, Bridgette and Jason Williams and their children Keaton and Brinna, and Katonya Cole and her children Joseph, Jaylynn, and Kyley; Betty's children Lynn Mendenhall and husband Matt, David Little and wife Joan, Lynn Mendenhall and husband Matt, Lisa Little, and Marta Gaddis and husband Mike; Patsy's children Sharon Ingram and husband Darrell, Sandy Carrington, and Richard Sparr and wife Jennifer; brother-in-law Gary Gilleland and wife Darylene. Charles is also survived by his nearest and dearest friend, confidant, and the real boss of Oldham and Associates, Wilda Anderson. Charles had such a large extended family, that it would take all day to name them all, he was surrounded by so many people who loved and adored him.
Paul Lyle, JD '64
Paul Lyle of Plainview was born August 12, 1940 to Ramer R. Lyle and Vonie Mae Echols Lyle in Magnolia, Arkansas. He went home to be with the Lord on November 22, 2019 following a brief bout with pneumonia. After growing up in Atlanta, Texas, Paul attended Baylor University where he obtained a B.A. in 1962 and went on to earn a law degree from Baylor University Law School in 1964. He met the love of his life, Linda Kay Rogers during his time at Baylor and they were married from 1962 until her death in 2003. Paul and Linda moved to Plainview where they reared their children, and he practiced law for over 40 years until his retirement. Paul served as a Director on the State Bar of Texas, and a trustee of the Mayer Foundation. He published the Lyle Digest and Superintendent's Manual-Commissioner's Decisions for many years and represented over 60 school districts across the state of Texas. He was recognized by the State Bar of Texas as a distinguished expert in school law and was a featured speaker annually at School Law legal conferences at the University of Texas Law School and also at many national legal conferences. He was a member of and chaired the School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Paul was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Plainview and a noted mentor to many through the years. He lived a life of service in his community and influenced countless people through his wise counsel, generosity and encouragement. Paul is survived by his daughter, Leah Kay Lyle Gabriel of Westlake, Texas and her husband Brent Gabriel; their children, Garrett Gabriel and Olivia Gabriel; his grandchildren, Dallas Lyle and London Lyle of Colorado Springs; his brother-in-law Jerry Rogers and sister-in-law Karolyn Rogers of Midland and cousins in Atlanta, Texas. In addition to his loving wife, Linda, and his parents, he was pre-deceased by his brother, Van Lyle in 1977, and his son, John Paul Lyle, in 2018.
Stephen Louis Burkett, JD '72
Stephen Louis Burkett of Corpus Christi, went to see Jesus on November 16, 2019 after valiantly wrestling with a long illness. Steve was born May 4, 1949 in Waco, Texas, the son of a Baylor Bear and the first of four boys. He would go on to have four boys of his own. After graduating from Ray High School in 1967, he attended Baylor like his father, earned a law degree, and met his wife Belinda. In his practice of law, Steve zealously advocated for the injured and downtrodden in South Texas from 1975 until his retirement in 2000. Both during his career and thereafter, he devoted his time to being a loving husband and father, scout leader, baseball coach, Sunday school teacher, world traveler, unabashed cut-up, and uplifting presence for anyone in need. Steve is survived by his wife of forty-six years Belinda; his sons Nathan Burkett, Aaron Burkett, Adam Burkett and Ausencio Pereida; grandchildren Luca and Margot, and brothers David and Jason Burkett. He was preceded in death by his father Perry E. Burkett, his mother Dorothy Jane Burkett, and his brother V. Paul Burkett. Steve would often sit at the breakfast table drinking his coffee, reading the Caller-Times and humming an uplifting tune. If you listen carefully, you can hear him lifting us all up with his song of life.
Mona Faye Read, JD '75
Mona Faye Read of Houston, passed away May 25, 2019. She received her law degree from Baylor Law and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1975. Read was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1982. She was an assistant in a private practice in Dallas from 1975 to 1978; a writing attorney in the Social Security Compensation Office of Hearings in San Antonio in 1978; and an administrative judge for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Houston, retiring in 2013. Read received a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and received the flag flown at half-staff in 1984 at Johnson Space Center. She enjoyed reading and collecting coins and Native American artifacts. Read is survived by her mother, Juanita E. Read.