In Memoriam
1938
Carmon Jackson Stuart, 90, died August 4, 2004 in Winston-Salem, NC. Born June 5, 1914 in Ashe County, NC, he graduated from Appalachian State University before attending Duke Law School.
Following two years with the Broughton Law Firm in Raleigh, NC, he began a career with the FBI, which carried him to several cities and ended with his retirement in 1964 as the resident agent in Winston-Salem. He then became the solicitor and city attorney for Winston-Salem until 1971. At that time, he was appointed as the clerk of court for the Federal Middle District of NC. Following his retirement from this position in 1983 and until recently, he was instrumental in the formation and operation of the Duke Private Adjudication Center at Duke Law.
Mr. Stuart is survived by his daughter, Lee Ann Stuart Stiffler and her husband, Gary of Winston-Salem; two sons, David Stuart and his wife, Janet, of Sunset Beach, NC, and Jack Stuart of Charlotte, NC. His wife Elsie passed away in 1989.
1947
Clyde Vernon McKee, 86, died September 14, 2004 in Orange, TX. Born June 28, 1918 in Rutherford, TN, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi. He remained at Ole Miss and began law school, but joined the Marines at the outbreak of WWII, and was sent to Quantico, VA for officer training. In 1946, he returned to the University of Mississippi to complete his law degree and later that year, enrolled at Duke Law School to begin work on his masters of law in federal taxation.
After graduation, a Houston law firm hired him and sent him to work for their firm in Orange, where they represented H.J. Lutcher Stark. In 1956, he left his practice and became the full-time general counsel and business manager for H.J.L. Stark. He set up the Stark Foundation in 1961 and served on the Board as secretary/treasurer until his retirement in 1996.
Mr. McKee is survived by his wife, Mary Louise; his sons, Dr. John Cooper McKee and his wife Mary, and Clyde V. “Tad” McKee, III and his wife Terese; his daughter, Judge Wanda Fowler and her husband Roger; his brother, John McKee; his sister Alice Henderson; seven grandchildren; and one great grandchild.
John A. Speziale, 82, died January 3, 2005 in Torrington, CT. Born November 21, 1922, in Winsted, CT, he attended Duke University where he received a B.A. in economics in 1943. Before attending Duke Law School, he served in the United States Navy.
Justice Speziale went into private practice in 1948 and in the 1950s became a senior partner in Speziale, Mettling, Lefebre & Burns in Torrington. He also served as city attorney for Torrington and in 1958 won election as state treasurer. Switching to the judicial branch in 1961, Justice Speziale then served as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Elevated to Superior Court in 1965, he was presiding judge of its appellate division and chief judge of the court from 1975 to 1977, when he joined the Supreme Court bench. He was its chief justice from 1981 to 1984 before returning to private practice with Cummings & Lockwood. Most recently, he was of counsel to the firm.
Justice Speziale is survived by his wife Mary Kocsis Speziale; a son John A. Jr. of Pawcatuck, CT; a daughter Marcia Jean Speziale of Hamden, CT; and two grandchildren.
1951
Roy G. Simmons, 80, died August 5, 2004 in Toms River, NJ. Born September 16, 1923, he joined the United States Marine Corps soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was with the first wave to land on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942. He then attended Oberlin College and received his bachelor’s degree in 1948 before attending Duke Law School.
After graduation, Mr. Simmons clerked for Ocean County District Court Judge John Ewart before opening a solo general practice. He was a partner with former Ocean County District Court Judge Percy Camp from 1953 to 1969 in Toms River. The firm represented Ocean County and many municipalities, zoning boards, planning boards, utilities authorities, and school boards.
Mr. Simmons was one of the founders of radio station WOBM-FM in Ocean County, which went on the air in 1968. At that point, his law practice wound down and he focused on the radio station.
Mr. Simmons is survived by his wife Holley of Toms River; two sons, Daniel, a lawyer, and William, both of Toms River; and two daughters, Mary Stafford of Maryland and Elizabeth Bingham of Virginia.
1961
Francis Vernon Gay, 74, died September 14, 2004 in Prescott, AZ. Born August 9, 1930 in Phoenix, AZ, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1953, and served in the Air Force for three years before attending Duke Law School.
After graduation, Mr. Gay and his wife, Diane, returned to Orlando, where he had been stationed with the Air Force, and joined the Anderson, Rush law firm. In 1964, he started a new firm with his West Point roommate, Egerton van den Berg L’59 and practiced law in Orlando for 31 years.
An active member of his community, Mr. Gay served on many boards such as The Mental Health Association, Orange County Board of Affordable Housing, Florida Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society. He especially enjoyed the Prescott High School reunions, hunting and fishing. He lived by the West Point Motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.”
Mr. Gay is survived by his wife Diane; daughter Melva and her husband Seth Begelow of Davis, CA; sons Francis Gay II and his wife Paula of Amman, Jordan, William Rinko-Gay and his wife Diane of Boiling Springs, PA, Michael Gay and his wife Tamra of Winter Park, FL; and eleven grandchildren; and a brother Robert Gay, M.D. of Enterprise, FL.
1971
J. Lofton Westmoreland, 58, died September 30, 2004 in Pensacola, FL. Born April 13, 1946, he was a native of Jay, FL and graduated from Jay High School in 1964. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1968 before attending Duke Law School. Mr. Westmoreland had been a partner in the Pensacola law firm of Moore, Hill & Westmoreland from 1983 until his death.
Mr. Westmoreland was past president of the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce; past president and a fellow of the University of West Florida Foundation; and past president of the Panhandle Tiger Bay Club. Since 1985, he held numerous leadership roles with Baptist Health Care Inc., most recently serving as vice chairman. He was a past member of the First Judicial Circuit Nominating Commission and a member of the First Presbyterian Church.
He is survived by his wife, Diana Craig Harris; his son, Harris Westmoreland; his daughter, Mallory Westmoreland; his mother, Evelyn Westmoreland of Jay; his brother, Dale Westmoreland and his wife, Brenda of Jay; his aunt, Eulene Sheffield of Pace; his aunt and uncle, Sara and Bennie Youngblood of Jay; his aunt, Nell Rochester of Walhalla, SC.
1978
James E. Padilla, 50, died September 20, 2004. Born December 28, 1953, he received his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in 1975, before attending Duke Law School.
After graduation, he joined the Chicago, IL, office of Mayer, Brown & Platt as an associate and transferred to their Denver office in 1982 where he specialized in securities transactions. He later became a partner at the firm in 1985 and moved to its New York office in 1988, specializing in financing transactions, representing U.S. and foreign lenders. He retired from Mayer, Brown & Platt in 1996.
Mr. Padilla was preceded in death by his parents Earl and Patricia Padilla.