The Oklahoma Bar Journal August 2022

Association of Realtors President’s Award. He also founded and served as director of the NTRKers Foundation, a nonprofit that advo cates for access to cancer testing, treatment and research. J ohn Lee Walkup of Weatherford died Jan. 25. He was born March 14, 1967. Mr. Walkup received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 2005. M erl A. Whitebook of Tulsa died June 4. He was born March 15, 1953. Mr. Whitebook received his J.D from the TU College of Law and practiced at the Tulsa law firm of Whitebook, Holtz, Gaddis and Powers. He also served as a municipal judge. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dorothy Whitebook Memorial Youth Fund at Temple Israel. T homas R. Williams of Sheridan, Wyoming, died May 16. He was born Jan. 13, 1928, in Gilroy, California. Mr. Williams earned his bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and music from San Francisco State University and was a music teacher before being drafted into the Korean War. He served in Korea as a member of a United Service Organizations group, entertaining the troops at various locations throughout the country. He then attended night school at the OCU College of Law while traveling between Texas and Oklahoma as a landman. He received his J.D. in 1961. Mr. Williams practiced law in Guthrie for more than 30 years and became well known throughout Oklahoma for his work advising school boards, banks and individu als on a wide variety of legal issues.

bachelor’s degree in zoology from OU in 1980. Mr. Rivera received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1992. He began his legal career at the U.S. Trustees Department and clerked for a federal judge in the Western District of Oklahoma. Later, he transitioned to private practice in bankruptcy law. S arah Carmack Spencer of Santa Fe, New Mexico, died Aug. 13, 2021. She was born March 4, 1949, in Tulsa. Ms. Spencer attended OU, where she majored in journalism and was editor of the OU Daily . After graduat ing, she worked for The Norman Transcript and the Southwestern Bell Telephone in Oklahoma City. She received her J.D. from the OCU School of Law. Memorial contribu tions may be made to the Espanola Humane Animal Shelter. F red L. Staggs of Oklahoma City died Nov. 23, 2021. He was born Oct. 22, 1955, in Enid. Mr. Staggs graduated from Hennessey High School and earned his bachelor’s degree from OSU. He received his J.D. from the OU College of Law and practiced criminal law. M artin Raymond Steinmetz of Bristow died March 30. He was born Oct. 5, 1951. Mr. Steinmetz received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1990. J ames D. Stevens of Nappanee, Indiana, died Sept. 2, 2021. He was born April 3, 1945, in Sullivan, Missouri. Mr. Stevens received his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1969. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he honorably served for more than 28 years – 24 of which were in the reserves. During Desert Storm, he helped service men and women in California with

their legal paperwork before their deployments to Iraq. He also served as an attorney in Aviano, Italy, while enlisted in the reserves. After being honorably discharged as a lieutenant colonel in 1974, he moved to Tinker Air Force Base as a procurement attorney. He then worked for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and later for the Missouri State Public Defenders office until his retirement in 2007. Memorial contributions may be made to any women and children’s shelter. J. Scott Stonehocker of Norman died June 23. He was born Dec. 22, 1966, in Lawton. After earning his bachelor’s degrees in economics and political sci ence from Southern Methodist University, Mr. Stonehocker received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1992. He practiced corporate and transactional law for most of his career. Memorial contri butions may be made to Wildwood Community Church. K eith Alan Taggart of Mustang died April 27. He was born March 25, 1957, in Miami, Oklahoma. Upon graduating from Weatherford High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree in music composition from OU. Mr. Taggart received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1981 and his LL.M. from the Boston University School of Law. After practicing real estate law in Oklahoma City, he moved to Boston and practiced law there and in New York City for the next two decades. In 2001, he returned to Oklahoma City, founded Taggart Law and concurrently served as managing broker and general counsel for a real estate brokerage until his death. He was named Oklahoma Realtor of the Year and was a recipient of the Oklahoma

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THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL