MEMORIAL RESOLUTION 2009

2009 MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS

Memorial to

Larry J. Campbell

As prepared by C. Donald Peppers, Sr


It is with great honor and pride that I stand before you today to memorialize the life of Larry J. Campbell.  Larry was born and raised in a small mill town in northwest Georgia called Trion.  He graduated from Trion High School in 1964 with honors in academics and athletics.  Following his graduation, he worked for a brief period of time and then volunteered for the draft and went into the U. S. Army and served in Korea until his discharge in 1968.


Upon his discharge from service, he moved to Chattanooga and received a B.S. degree in History in 1970 from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  He taught briefly at City High School and Howard High School before enrolling in Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, where he received his Juris Doctorate degree in 1976.  While in Law School, Larry was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity.


After Law School, Larry and his beloved wife, Susan, moved back to Chattanooga and he took a job as an Assistant District Attorney for Hamilton County.  He worked tirelessly in this capacity for 10 years where he earned great respect not only from his colleagues in the District Attorney’s office, but also from opposing counsel because he always treated them with civility, respect and dignity.  In 1986, Larry entered private practice as a sole practitioner and for the next 20 years he devoted his practice to helping the poor and underprivileged.  Larry was licensed and practiced in Tennessee and Georgia.  Larry was always an early riser and many days he would be up and off to work before the sun would rise, meeting with his clients to ensure that he would be prepared when the case was called for trial.  Having grown up in a mill village, Larry was very much in touch with the problems that confronted the less privileged and he always treated everyone as a friend first and client second.  He was a great champion for the common man or “under dog” as they are often referred to, and a vast majority of his legal services was provided Pro Bono.  He never refused to represent a person because they were unable to pay him.  He would simple tell them they could pay next time.


Larry was preceded in death by his mother, father and son, Robert Horton Campbell, who was killed May 10, 1991, by an assailant during an armed robbery.  He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Susan Little Campbell; his daughter, Kimberly Campbell Shumpert and her husband, Brad, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and, his son, Jacob Campbell and his wife, Minda.  Jacob is a teacher and campus minister at Boyd Buchanan School.   Kimberly is employed by the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Brad will enter Law School at the University of Arkansas this fall.  (Wouldn’t he be proud?)  Larry was a member of the Brainerd Church of Christ and the American Legion Post 95 located in East Ridge.


It’s lawyers like Larry Campbell that give the legal profession a good name.


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED in a special Memorial Session on this 2nd Day of March, 2009, that Larry J. Campbell’s good deeds and kindness be memorialized through this resolution and be adopted by this association as words of respect, praise and memory.


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and that a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy in our mutual loss.


Chattanooga Bar Association

The Honorable Barry Steelman, President


Memorial to

C. Richard Dietzen

As prepared by William M. Barker, Esq.


Richard Dietzen was a true gentleman, a keen scholar, a caring mentor, a beloved family man, and a consistent contributor to his church and community. Richard richly deserved the unqualified respect of all who knew him. I held him in the highest esteem and can say unequivocally that my life has been immensely richer, both personally and professionally, for having been associated with him. 


Charles Richard Dietzen was born June 20, 1925, in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. He was the second of four children born to Walter Nicholas Dietzen and Bessie Mae Mankin Dietzen. 


The family moved to Chattanooga when Richard was a small child. He attended Missionary Ridge Elementary School and the McCallie School, graduating in 1943. Soon after his graduation from McCallie, he entered the United States Army during World War II, and saw combat in France and the Rhineland as a member of the 254th Infantry, anti-tank units. His unit was awarded the Bronze Star and the Croix de Guerre with Palm. 


Upon his discharge from the Army in 1946, Richard attended the University of   Chattanooga for his undergraduate education where he was a founding member of the local chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Richard entered the Vanderbilt University School of Law, graduating with a juris doctorate degree in 1950. 


After law school, Richard entered the private practice of law with his father, Judge W. N. “Buck” Dietzen. Other members of the firm over the years were the Honorable Jesse Parks, Justice Ray Brock, Forrest Hudson, Muecke Barker, Chancellor Frank Brown, Fielding Atchley and Richard’s younger brother, Bill. 


Richard served as president of the Chattanooga Bar Association in 1961-1962. The Tennessee Supreme Court later named him to the Tennessee State Board of Professional Responsibility. In addition, he was elected as a Fellow to the Chattanooga Bar Foundation. 


Richard was active in civic affairs, holding memberships in the Chattanooga Kiwanis Club, the Navy League, the City Farmers Club, and the Chattanooga Speech and Hearing Center Board, where he served a term as its president. Richard and his loving wife, Martha Jane Drennen Dietzen, were long-time members of Brainerd United Methodist Church where he was active in many capacities in the laity, including serving as president of the Francis Asbury 

Sunday School class. 


Richard was preceded in death by his father, mother, and an older brother, Rear Admiral Walter N. Dietzen, Jr. USN. 


He is survived by Martha, his wife of fifty-six years; his only son, Dr. Richard Edward Dietzen of El Dorado, Arkansas; his brother, John William Dietzen; his sister, Carol Anne Dietzen Stein; by granddaughters Alarica Nichole and Christiana Amalie Dietzen; three nephews, and two nieces. 

 

At his death on December 30, 2008, Richard’s obituary stated, “He was an honest and forth-right man, a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.” Richard, indeed, was that and much, much more. He and his brother, Bill, gave me my first job when I began the practice of law. Richard and Bill taught me how to practice law. I was fortunate enough to be Richard’s associate and then partner for the entire fourteen years that I was engaged in the practice of law before becoming a member of the judiciary. 


On a daily basis, I was privileged to observe Richard’s genuine love and concern for his fellow man, his integrity, his keen intellectual capacity, and his kind and gentle treatment of others. I could have had no better role model and true friend.


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, in special Memorial Session on this 2nd day of March, 2009, that Charles Richard Dietzen’s good deeds, and kindness, be memorialized through this resolution and be adopted by this association as words of respect, praise and memory; and


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association; and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts for Chattanooga, Tennessee; and that a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy in our mutual loss.


Chattanooga Bar Association

The Honorable Barry A. Steelman, President


Memorial to

Larry J. Campbell

As prepared by C. Donald Peppers, Sr


It is with great honor and pride that I stand before you today to memorialize the life of Larry J. Campbell.  Larry was born and raised in a small mill town in northwest Georgia called Trion.  He graduated from Trion High School in 1964 with honors in academics and athletics.  Following his graduation, he worked for a brief period of time and then volunteered for the draft and went into the U. S. Army and served in Korea until his discharge in 1968.


Upon his discharge from service, he moved to Chattanooga and received a B.S. degree in History in 1970 from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  He taught briefly at City High School and Howard High School before enrolling in Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, where he received his Juris Doctorate degree in 1976.  While in Law School, Larry was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity.


After Law School, Larry and his beloved wife, Susan, moved back to Chattanooga and he took a job as an Assistant District Attorney for Hamilton County.  He worked tirelessly in this capacity for 10 years where he earned great respect not only from his colleagues in the District Attorney’s office, but also from opposing counsel because he always treated them with civility, respect and dignity.  In 1986, Larry entered private practice as a sole practitioner and for the next 20 years he devoted his practice to helping the poor and underprivileged.  Larry was licensed and practiced in Tennessee and Georgia.  Larry was always an early riser and many days he would be up and off to work before the sun would rise, meeting with his clients to ensure that he would be prepared when the case was called for trial.  Having grown up in a mill village, Larry was very much in touch with the problems that confronted the less privileged and he always treated everyone as a friend first and client second.  He was a great champion for the common man or “under dog” as they are often referred to, and a vast majority of his legal services was provided Pro Bono.  He never refused to represent a person because they were unable to pay him.  He would simple tell them they could pay next time.


Larry was preceded in death by his mother, father and son, Robert Horton Campbell, who was killed May 10, 1991, by an assailant during an armed robbery.  He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Susan Little Campbell; his daughter, Kimberly Campbell Shumpert and her husband, Brad, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and, his son, Jacob Campbell and his wife, Minda.  Jacob is a teacher and campus minister at Boyd Buchanan School.   Kimberly is employed by the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Brad will enter Law School at the University of Arkansas this fall.  (Wouldn’t he be proud?)  Larry was a member of the Brainerd Church of Christ and the American Legion Post 95 located in East Ridge.

It’s lawyers like Larry Campbell that give the legal profession a good name.


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED in a special Memorial Session on this 2nd Day of March, 2009, that Larry J. Campbell’s good deeds and kindness be memorialized through this resolution and be adopted by this association as words of respect, praise and memory.


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and that a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy in our mutual loss.   


Chattanooga Bar Association

The Honorable Barry Steelman, President


Memorial to

John I. (Jack) Foster, Jr.

As prepared by The Family of John I. Foster, Jr.


John I. “Jack” Foster, Jr., was born on February 22, 1918 in Hartford, Connecticut.  He was the son of John I. Foster, Sr., of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and Hazel Murch Foster from Poughkeepsie, New York.  He was the oldest of three boys and moved throughout New York and New Jersey, arriving in Tennessee at the young age of seven. He attended public schools, graduating from Chattanooga Central High School in 1936.


Jack Foster loved his country and served it admirably.  He was a veteran of World War II, having served in the Army Air Corps in a B-26 bomber group in England and Europe before and after D-day.  He was awarded the Victory and American Campaign service medals and ultimately attained the rank of major.


Jack loved being a lawyer and represented our profession with honor and dignity.  After WWII, he started law school at Northwestern University in Chicago and received his law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1949. He taught classes in law at the University of Chattanooga and Tennessee Wesleyan College.


Jack practiced law until age 88 in 2006, serving multiple generations of many families.  He worked across all areas of the law and regarded its practice as a calling and privilege.  He served his clients with the highest integrity and utmost respect for their lives. He was licensed in Tennessee and Georgia and practiced before state and federal courts as well as the appellate courts of the U.S. 5th and 6th circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court.  He was a member of the Chattanooga Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Georgia Bar Association.


During Jack’s long career as an attorney, he had several offices in downtown Chattanooga.  By far his favorite was his office “behind the eagle” on the front of the Maclellan Building.  It was here he had some of his happiest moments, enjoying the camaraderie of his fellow attorney friends over breakfast in the Maclellan Coffee Shop before heading up “Heart Attack Hill” to try his cases.


Jack was always committed to the concept of equity.  He believed that an equitable resolution of a conflict without recourse to the Court was always a preferred solution and something for which every attorney should strive. 


Jack had several sayings that he voiced on many occasions. A few of them were:

  • A man’s word is his bond.
  • There is no issue cut so thin that it doesn’t have at least two sides.
  • You can sue the Bishop of Boston for bastardy, but you have to prove it.


He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd on Lookout Mountain where he taught youth Sunday school classes.  He also coached youth baseball for many years and was a skilled, patient and loving adult who positively influenced the lives of several generations of children.  He was an avid yachtsman, pilot and golfer.  He was a member of the Lookout Mountain Fairyland Club, the Lookout Mountain Golf Club, and the YMCA.


Jack was married for 46 years to his beloved first wife, Rosemary Terrar Foster, whom he met in Coffeyville, Kansas, while going through flight training there in 1942-43. Rosemary predeceased him in 1992.


There were two sons born of this union, Dr. John I. Foster, III, of Atlanta, Georgia, and James Edward Foster of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They presented their father with six bright, beautiful grandchildren—the oldest one, a charming young lady who is a freshman at Princeton University, where she is entertaining thoughts of following in her grandfather’s footsteps and becoming an attorney.


Jack remarried on April 15, 1993 to Glenda Goins Foster.  It was a May to September romance. Glenda first met Jack in 1963 when she was 13 years old and he was representing her and two of her childhood friends in a case. This fact was unbeknown to Glenda until about a year ago when she had told Jack about the experience of her “first day in Court” and her fears of being called to the witness stand. After hearing the facts of the case, Jack told her he had been her attorney.


Jack Foster died at his home on Lookout Mountain in the early morning hours of Thursday, January 15, 2009.  He died the way he lived—with dignified grace and peacefulness.  His adoring wife, Glenda, was by his side.


As Glenda said to her family and friends at Jack’s service, “He is now in Heaven with a healthy, whole body, practicing law in God’s Supreme Court.”

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, in special Memorial Session on this 2nd day of March, 2009, that John I. Foster, Jr.’s good deeds, and kindness, be memorialized through this resolution and be adopted by this association as words of respect, praise and memory; and


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association; and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts for Chattanooga, Tennessee; and that a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy in our mutual loss.


Chattanooga Bar Association

The Honorable Barry A. Steelman, President


Memorial to

Shadrach Jerome “Jerry” Hale, II

As prepared by John C. Mooney

 

It is an honor for me to prepare this resolution on behalf of my friend, Jerry Hale.


I met Jerry when we were both first year students at Emory Law School in June 1962.


Until Jerry’s death on April 26, 2008, we remained friends, working together on many real estate matters, going on fishing trips together to Chickamauga Lake, Islamorada, Florida and Belize, Central America.


Jerry has been described by many as a man with a gentle spirit and a peace maker. I don’t remember ever having an argument with Jerry. Jerry was a hard worker, who was honest, above reproach, generous, brilliant in his chosen profession, and who loved his family and his work.


Jerry is survived by his wife, Nina, who he married on January 1, 1966, his daughter, Eadie, son-in-law Michael Brogg, and two grandsons, Gabriel age 4 and Lucas age 2.


Jerry was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on February 4, 1940. He graduated from McCallie High School, Emory University and Emory Law School in 1965.


Jerry began work at Milligan Reynolds Guarnty Title Agency, Inc. in 1965 and worked there until 2007, when he retired and sold his interest in Milligan Reynolds Guaranty Title Agency, Inc. Jerry was considered by many to be the best real estate title lawyer in this area. At Milligan Reynolds, Jerry pioneered in the use of technology in the real estate title and closing business.


 Jerry was one of the first real estate attorneys to specialize in condominium projects in Chattanooga, and worked on many of the major projects. Jerry was President of the Tennessee Land Title Association in 1980-81, and also served on their legislative committee.


 Jerry was an avid UTC basketball fan and for years attended most of the men’s basketball games. From 1967 to 1972, Jerry tutored in the Intercity program which included a number of UTC basketball players. Jerry became friends with a number of these players.


 Jerry and his family attended First Centenary Methodist Church for many years, where Jerry taught Sunday School or was a Discussion Leader. For a number of years he assisted his wife, Nina, with her intercity work and served on the Industrial YMCA Board.


 Jerry had many interests including reading and art. Many years ago, Jerry purchased an expensive custom made bicycle which is described by his wife, Nina, as more expensive than a car. He rode this bike for years. About 5 years ago Jerry purchased a new motorcycle. Shortly after this purchase, Jerry discovered that he had cancer. He put less than 50 miles on this motorcycle and eventually sold it. 


Because of Jerry’s willingness to help others by sharing his time, talent and money, and his love for his family, profession, and church, he will always be remembered.


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED in a special memorial session on this 2nd day of March, 2009, that Shadrach Jerome Hale, II’s good deeds and kindness be memorialized through this Resolution, and be adopted by this Association as words of respect, praise and memory.


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and that a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy and our mutual loss.


Chattanooga Bar Association

The Honorable Barry Steelman, President


Memorial to

L. D. Miller

As prepared by Brad Weeks 


I consider it a great honor to be able to say a few words in memory of a gentleman that I have known all of my life.  L. D. was the father of two contemporaries of mine; his beloved children, Micky Miller and Becky Bowers. We worked together in the same building throughout my law career, and we spent many a trip up the hill together.  L.D. was a quiet giant in the practice of domestic relations law in Chattanooga.


L.D. was the son of Circuit Court Judge L.D. Miller, Sr. and Lena Kate Wills Miller from Mountain City, Tennessee. Growing up in Chattanooga, L.D. attended the Chattanooga College of Law and graduated with a law degree and passed the Chattanooga State Bar in 1945. After passing the Bar, he worked for Spears, Reynolds, Williams & Moore for a time before establishing his own practice and his own office on the 10th floor of the Hamilton National Bank Building, later First Tennessee Bank Building, where he stayed for over 50 years. It was an era when attorneys commonly held office hours open on Saturdays and; according to his son, he worked 5 1/2 days a week, every week, throughout his career.


L.D. was a challenging adversary. In the words of a number of his contemporaries, he was a zealous advocate for his client, difficult to deal with, but always a pleasure to talk with in a social context.


He could be an intimidating adversary for a young attorney, until he got to know you. After that, he was still a difficult adversary, he was just easier to talk with.


His gruff exterior hid a very warm and gentle heart. He was a devoted family man.  In fact, in talking with his children about what his hobbies might have been, I learned that he really didn't have any hobbies, per se, other than work and family. I remember many walks to the courthouse with him in which he was more than happy to talk about the exploits of his grandchildren. L.D. was the father of L.D. "Micky" Miller, III who is married to Carolyn Cofer Miller and to Elizabeth "Becky" Kate Miller Bowers, wife of Dr. Richard James Bowers. He was also the grandfather of Dr. Elizabeth Marie Bowers of Chattanooga, Richard James Bowers, Jr. of Detroit, Michigan and Joseph J. Leonidas Miller of Chattanooga and Ferne Elizabeth Miller of Chattanooga.


He was married for over 50 years to Elizabeth Jeanne Collette Miller and the occasions of his family's birthdays and vacations were the high points of his life. He spent most every Saturday afternoon and Sunday at "the farm" on the back of Lookout Mountain which was his relief from the rigors of an active domestic relations practice. 


L.D. Miller left a legacy that many of us can aspire to.  Although challenging on the outside, he was always gentle and honest on the inside. He worked hard; he loved his family and he made a profound impression on all people that he came in contact with.


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED in a special memorial session on this 2nd day of March, 2009, that L. D. Miller’s good deeds and kindness be memorialized through this Resolution, and be adopted by this Association as words of respect, praise and memory.

           

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and that a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy and our mutual loss.


Chattanooga Bar Association

The Honorable Barry A. Steelman, President


Memorial to

Raymond H. Moseley

As prepared by Harry F. Burnette


It is a great honor to be asked to memorialize Raymond H. Moseley.  He was a great trial lawyer but an even greater story teller. 

           

Ray excelled in all areas.  He excelled in school, in the military, in church, with his family, and in the practice of law.  He was one of those rare individuals who possessed both physical skills and intellectual skills. 

           

He attended the University of Tennessee Law School.  He became the editor of the Law Review and graduated with honors. 


In the military, Ray served with distinction.  He was a Navy fighter pilot and flight instructor in World War II.  He served in the Atlantic, American, and Caribbean Theaters. He was an exceptional pilot and was one of the first helicopter pilots to ever be licensed.  Ray served on President Truman’s staff at the South American Peace Conference in 1947 and eventually retired from the United States Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. 


Ray loved his church as much as he did his country.  He was an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  At church, he did it all.  He sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, and he gave countless hours to his church. 


Ray Moseley is survived by his wife of 62 years, Lois Virginia Hawk Moseley. Together they had four children, Richard Paul Moseley of High Point, North Carolina, Stephen Ray Moseley of Knoxville, Tennessee, Robert Douglas Moseley of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Diane Moseley Crabtree of Franklin, Tennessee.  He was proud of each child and loved to tell stories about them and their passions and talents. 


As to the community, Ray was involved.  He was involved with various church organizations. He was an Honorary Chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum and was a 32nd degree Mason. 


I knew Ray Moseley best as a lawyer. He was a lawyer’s lawyer.  When lawyers got in trouble they called on Ray Moseley to help them.  He was a member or the American College of Trial Lawyers and International Society of Barristers.  He also served on the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary.  He was an alumni of the Charles A. Noone firm and eventually established the Humphreys, Hutcheson and Moseley firm.  This firm came to be known as Hutcheson, Moseley, Pinchak & Powers. 


After he left Chattanooga in 1998, Ray joined his son’s law firm in Knoxville.  This firm is known as Lacey and Moseley.  He believed in the jury trial system and believed that combat in that arena was the best way to learn the truth.  Ray frequently said “fight for the right, oppose the wrong.” 


Today, so called trial lawyers go to trial in two or three cases a year.  Ray Moseley often tried sixty cases in a year.  It was a different era, but he was a lawyer’s lawyer by any standard. 


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED in a special Memorial Session on this 2nd day of March, 2009, that Raymond H. Moseley’s good deeds and kindness be memorialized through this resolution and be adopted by this association as words of respect, praise, and memory; and


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy in our mutual loss.


Chattanooga Bar Association

Barry A. Steelman, President   


Memorial to

W. Kirk Snouffer

As prepared by William Crutchfield, Jr.


I feel most privileged today to be able to say something about my long-time friend and partner, Kirk Snouffer.  Over the 33 years I practiced law with him I came to admire him in so many different ways.  Kirk was born in 1948 in Washington, D.C.  He spent his early years in Houston, Texas and attended college at the University of the South at Sewanee, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.  Law school at the University of Texas followed college, and there he earned distinction as a member of the Order of the Coif.


Kirk began his legal career with a two-year clerkship for the Honorable Virgil Pittman, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.


In 1975, he became associated with the law firm of Chambliss, Bahner, Crutchfield, Gaston & Irvine, now Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, with whom he practiced law until his death on March 25, 2008.


As a beginning associate he suffered the indignities usually heaped upon young lawyers, but soon was able to channel his interests toward specialty in the areas of estate planning, corporate and individual taxation, retirement plans and executive compensation, real estate and business planning, and his expertise became widely recognized.


Though his areas of practice were highly technical, Kirk maintained a laid-back and sometimes unconventional style.  For instance, during the years our firm was in the Maclellan Building, he was known to many as the "10th Floor Outlaw," who quite often adopted rather unique ways of approaching the practice.


Before long, this combination of technical expertise and laid-back style merged with his innate leadership ability and he became the firm's managing partner.  He performed this job for many years with great skill and diplomacy and contributed immeasurably to the firm at a time of significant growth.  Believe me, managing a group of prima donna lawyers is a challenge that few can master.


Kirk was also one of the firm's most memorable characters.  He was the firm's self-appointed historian and in that capacity maintained unusual collections such as the nameplates from just about every lawyer and staff member who ever worked at the firm and later departed for one reason or another.  He collected funny photographs and memorabilia from some of the former and more eccentric lawyers and staff.  He collected letterheads from other law firms because he was entertained by the unusual names he found on them, and took great joy in sharing these items among us.


Although extremely busy, Kirk was someone who seemed to be ever present around the office, visiting with lawyers and staff, roaming the halls and participating in many of the office practical jokes and antics. When he came to visit you, he was one of those people that liked to fiddle with everything on your desk or table, and particularly liked to torment me.  Almost every time he visited me he would take my desk pen apart and put it back together.  Fortunately it had been out of ink for years. Despite all of his antics, Kirk was ever present for help and sound advice.


As an avid world traveler, he and his soulmate and wife, Marian, enjoyed many unique and fascinating trips.  He was an ardent supporter of programs for the protection of wildlife and the environment.  Kirk loved animals.  Stray cats and dogs did not stay “stray” for long. He would either give them a home, or find one for them.  He was also active in the United Way, the East Tennessee Legal Aid Society, and was a rabid supporter of his beloved Sewanee.  He never missed a Homecoming!


In many ways, however, Kirk was a very private person, and this was particularly so with regard to his health.  He suffered from a profoundly severe case of diabetes about which few in the firm knew anything except on rare occasions when he was in distress.  Although it was necessary for Kirk to constantly monitor his sugar levels he never let this problem interfere with the outstanding legal service he rendered for his clients.  He was blessed by two “Florence Nightingales”, his long-time friend and former secretary, Mary Schmidt at the office, and his wonderful Marian at home, who both kept faithful watch over him.


Kirk insisted that as few in the firm as possible know about his health problems, as he did not wish for anyone to offer him any special consideration. 

A few years ago, Kirk was diagnosed with a rare and incurable liver disease called sclerosing cholangitis.  I had never heard of it, and I doubt if anyone in this room has either.  He had no overt symptoms but, unlike diabetes, it was something he could not control.  It is doubtful that he allowed more than three or four people in the firm to know about this, and was even more secretive when he was later diagnosed with an exotic type of cancer for which there was only experimental treatment.  Kirk had to go to Nashville for treatment, but made the trips out of town on some pretext that had nothing to do with his health.  Kirk remained determined to continue his invaluable work without any sympathy or special treatment from the firm or his clients.  He endured his chemotherapy and its effects without a whimper.


Even when the cancer got the upper hand and Kirk was in the hospital in excruciating pain, he maintained his devotion to his clients with calls and email.


Kirk took great pride in the sage advice he gave his clients and cherished the confidence they expressed to him in return.  He gave of himself constantly to his profession, to the firm and to many institutions in the community.  His love for the people with whom he worked, both great and small, was boundless as was his love for the wonders of nature and all of God's creatures.  Kirk took great delight in perpetuating himself as one of the firm's most unusual characters and in the world of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel he was truly a National Treasure. 


Kirk is survived by his wife, soulmate and best friend Marian Moreland Snouffer of Chattanooga and a sister, Linda Rinehart of Tuttle, Oklahoma.


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED in a special memorial session on this 2nd day of March, 2009, that W. Kirk Snouffer's good deeds and kindness be memorialized through this Resolution, and be adopted by this Association as words of respect, praise and memory.


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be filed in the archives of the Chattanooga Bar Association and be enrolled in the Memorial Resolution Book of the Circuit and Chancery Courts of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and that a copy be presented to his family as a token of the esteem and honor in which he has been held, and as an expression of our very deep sympathy and our mutual loss.


Chattanooga Bar Association

The Honorable Barry Steelman, President

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