The Oklahoma Bar Journal February 2023

I n M emoriam

J erry Ray Babbitt of Medicine Park died Sept. 28. He was born May 14, 1941. Mr. Babbitt received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1968. S teven Wayne Ballard of Spring, Texas, died Oct. 26. He was born Feb. 9, 1969. Mr. Ballard received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1995. C arol Ann Browne of Houston died March 29, 2022. She was born Dec. 5, 1956. After receiving her J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1982, Ms. Browne moved to Texas, where she practiced law for more than 10 years. She taught and mentored students through trial and justice-based courses she created, wrote several books and volunteered for numerous organi zations and nonprofits. Memorial contributions may be made to Desiring God, Lone Star Boxer Rescue or Passion Conferences. M ark Edward Burget of Norman died Dec. 31. He was born Feb. 11, 1954, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Mr. Burget attended OU, where he walked onto the football team and earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting. He received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1979 and his LL.M. in taxation from the New York University School of Law in 1982. Mr. Burget joined the law firm of McAfee & Taft, where he served clients across an array of practice areas for more than 22 years and was named the firm’s first managing director in 1998. He worked in that role for three years before joining Search Ministries. In 2018, he was asked to serve as Gov. Stitt’s general counsel but tran sitioned back to Search Ministries

G len Douglas Huff of Oklahoma City died Nov. 11. He was born Oct. 16, 1949. Mr. Huff received his J.D. from the OU College of Law. M arkham P. Johnson Jr. of Tulsa died Dec. 29. He was born March 8, 1929, in Mobile, Alabama. Mr. Johnson worked in the Kennedy Building in Tulsa with Markham P. Johnson and Associates, and he served as vice president of Willis Inspace in Washington, D.C. He was a long time Boy Scout leader and helped run the U.S. Senate campaign for an old law school friend. Memorial contributions may be made to The Nature Conservancy. L ance L. Larey of Tulsa died Dec. 10. He was born July 8, 1939, in Texarkana, Arkansas. Mr. Larey received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1969. In addition to practicing law, he was a professor at the TU College of Law and a real estate appraiser. He was also a member of the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. J ames Bradley Morelli of Oklahoma City died Dec. 9. He was born Oct. 15, 1956. Mr. Morelli graduated from Guthrie High School before earning a bache lor’s degree in political science from the University of Central Oklahoma. He received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1980 and practiced in Guthrie. He later became senior legal counsel of UCO, where he served until his retirement. He also enjoyed teach ing classes at UCO, particularly criminal law and procedure.

full time in 2021. Memorial contribu tions may be made to Young Life of South Central Oklahoma or Search Ministries Oklahoma City. J ohn Russell Couch Jr. of Stillwater died June 15, 2022. He was born Aug. 18, 1942. Mr. Couch received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1970. M ark H. Ford of Oklahoma City died Dec. 18. He was born July 1, 1941, and grew up in Granite and Tulsa. Mr. Ford earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He received his J.D. from the SMU Dedman School of Law in 1967. He was also licensed in real estate, taught continuing legal education classes and published books on human behavior that were beneficial to trial lawyers, real estate profes sionals and salespeople. Memorial contributions may be made to the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church. M. Jean Holmes of Tulsa died Oct. 14. She was born Feb. 12, 1943. Ms. Holmes received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law in 1972 and began her legal career as an administrative law judge, holding hearings for the Kentucky Department of Transportation. She moved to Tulsa in 1981 to teach at Oral Roberts University O. W. Coburn School of Law. In 1988, she went to work for the law firm of Winters and King as an appellate practitioner. After retiring in 2012, Ms. Holmes was an active retreat leader with Hope Renewal and Stillwater Ministries for 18 years.

66 | FEBRUARY 2023

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL