William Wayne Kilgarlin

KILGARLIN, WILLIAM W. (1932 ~ 2012). The following is an obituary for Texas Supreme Court Justice William Kilgarlin. The obituary was published in the Sante Fe New Mexican.

Judge William Wayne Kilgarlin Judge William Wayne Kilgarlin died on November 5, 2012 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Judge Kilgarlin was born in Houston, Texas on November 29, 1932. He was predeceased by his wife of 40 years, Margaret Kruppa Kilgarlin, and by his parents William Kilgarlin and Juanita Lawther Kilgarlin. He is survived by his sister, Gail Choate, her husband David Randolph Choate, their children Brian Choate and his wife Hollie, and Shannon Choate Chapman and her husband David; also survived by brother-in-law Joseph E. Kruppa, his wife Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa and their son Miles Joseph Kruppa, sister-in-law Judge Patricia Hancock and her children, Joseph W. Hancock and his wife Michelle, and Benjamin Hancock, and Julie Harris Boon and her husband Steve, and Mark Harris, daughter and son of deceased sister-in-law Rose Marie Harris. Finally, Judge Kilgarlin is survived by special friend, Ann Moon. Judge Kilgarlin had a distinguished and expansive career.

Educated in the Houston public schools, he received a B.S. from the University of Houston in 1954 and an LL.B. from The University of Texas in 1962. He was an outstanding debate instructor in both high school and the University of Houston. He served in the U.S. Army, Artillery Corps, from 1955-57. Judge Kilgarlin became interested in politics in the late fifties. He was a lifelong Democrat who served in the Texas Legislature for one term, was Harris County Democratic Chairman from 1962-66, and was always conscious of and devoted to defending the rights of the underprivileged. Judge Kilgarlin was a District Judge in the 215th District Court, Harris County, from 1978-82, and served on the Supreme Court of Texas from 1983-89. When he left the court, he and his wife retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he enjoyed life and served Of Counsel to Popp and Ikard, Austin, from 1989 to 2005, and with Ikard/Wynne, Austin, from 2005 to the present.

The Judge was a member of the International Wine and Food Society in both Austin and Santa Fe, serving as President and Barrister of the Santa Fe Branch. He was an active bridge player holding Silver Life Master status and was President, Unit 383, of the American Contract Bridge League. He won a State Bar of Texas Award in l985 for Outstanding Service to Continuing Legal Education, and an ACLU Award in l988 as an Outstanding Texas Jurist. He was an active supporter of the Santa Fe Opera, the Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Santa Fe Concert Association, having served on the boards of both the Opera Club and the Concert Association.

He authored 14 articles in Law Reviews and other periodicals, and served on two commissions for the City of Santa Fe to draft charter revisions concerning city elections. These are just a few details of the Judge's life, but they do not capture his larger-than-life spirit, his generosity, and his enthusiasms. He loved good food, good company, and good wine. He was a gregarious person who never wanted a party to end. And he adored his dog, Freckles, who died recently. The world is a lesser place when people like Judge Kilgarlin leave us.

Funeral service will be Thursday, 10:00 am, November 8, 2012 at St. Bede's Episcopal Church, 1601 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Funeral services will also be held on November 10, 2012 in Austin, Texas at the Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral, 3125 N. Lamar, at 2:00 pm with burial to follow in the Texas State Government Cemetery, Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to St. Bede's Episcopal Church, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Berardinelli Family Funeral Service 1399 Luisa Street, Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505)984-8600