In Memoriam

Spring 2013

Loyola Law School mourns the loss of the following alumni:

Gerald (Gery) O'Connor Egan II ’48
Hon. Maripaul S. Baier ’55
William L. Detrixhe ’56
Hon. Ronald G. Lorden ’68
Brian M. Barnard ’69
James E. Beal ’70
Herbert F. Blanck ’71
Barbara W. Gilfillan Crowley ’74
Camilla L. Broderick ’77
Mary Redus Gayle ’80
Judy L. (Aiken) Driver ’88Robyn A. Deppe ’89
Robert N. Norris ’89

Gerald (Gery) O. Egan II ’48 of San Bernardino died on October 20, 2012.  Eagan was born on November 5, 1925 in Los Angeles, CA and attended Saint Monica High School, where he played varsity football and where met his bride-to-be, Betty Ann. Just out of high school in 1943, Egan was drafted into the U.S. Navy and served as a petty officer on a destroyer in the Pacific Theater.  Following the service, Egan attended Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School, passed the California Bar Examination, and followed in his father's footsteps, practicing law in Los Angeles, CA. Egan opened his own practice in San Bernardino, CA, where he and his wife and their growing family settled permanently.  He will be remembered as a skilled trial attorney, a lifelong devotee to physical exercise and a major college football fan.  Egan is survived by his 8 children and 13 grandchildren.

Hon. Maripaul S. Baier ’55 died on December 30, 2012. Originally from Michigan, Judge Baier was a resident of Auburn, CA (Placer County) for many years, finishing her career as an administrative law judge for the State of California. She was a long-time member of St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church and enjoyed spending time with her friends and family. Judge Baier was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Theodore, and is survived by her son Carl and daughters Sheryl and Angela, five grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

William L. Detrixhe ’56 passed away on January 26, 2013.  Detrixhewasborn in Long beach, CA, studied at USC on a track scholarship, and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp in 1941 with the onset of WWII. He was stationed in the China-Burma-India Theater and met and spoke with Mahatma Gandhi.  After his discharged, Detrixhe finished his undergraduate studies and went to work at Pacific Finance—where he met his wife Delores. The couple had four daughters and one son.  Detrixhe entered Loyola Law School’s evening program and worked days.  Upon graduation from Loyola Law School, Detrixhe practiced law in Santa Monica, CA for 42 years.  Teasing and humor were a big part of his life, as were golfing, boating and fishing–Detrixhe traveled up and down the West Coast, from Alaska to Mexico, and traveled along the East Coast via the Panama Canal.   Detrixhe is survived by his wife of 60-plus years and his children and grandchildren.

Hon. Ronald G. Lorden ’68 passed away on July 26, 2012.  Born in Los Angeles, CA during the height of WWII, Judge Lorden became a well-respected judicial commissioner for the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside in Indio.  He began his career as a deputy district attorney in Riverside and served as the supervising district attorney in Blythe, CA before becoming a commissioner. Judge Lorden is survived by his wife Jackie, his son John and daughter Whitney, and will be remembered for his love for life—particularly his enjoyment of dancing.   

Brian M. Barnard ’69 diedon September 1, 2012.  Upon graduation from Loyola Law School, Barnard moved to Utah in the early 1970s, opening his own practice: the Utah Legal Clinic. Barnard dedicated his life and his practice to protecting the personal civil rights and liberties of individuals.  The community will remember him as a bulldog for civil rights inside the courtroom, and as a big-hearted man outside of the court.  Barnard cared for his community and he was a huge supporter of the local arts—a season ticket-holder for many of Utah’s acting and dance companies. Barnard also was fond of gardening and shared his abundant crops with co-workers, friends, neighbors and even opposing counsel. Barnard is survived by his brother and nieces, great-nieces and –nephews, and his office family.  

James E. Beal ’70 was born in Hot Springs, AK and grew up in Seattle and Everett, WA. He passed away in Everett on September 26. President of his high school class and a member of the Washington State National Guard, Beal received a congressional appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. In 1956, Beal began his active Army Service and worked his way up to commandant for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Upon retiring from active service, Beal served in the Army Reserve and promoted to brigadier general in 1981 and major general in 1984. He served in various command positions. Upon obtaining his JD, Beal opened a private law practice in Northridge, CA.  Throughout his retirement in 2007, Beal remained actively involved in the community with the chamber of commerce, citizens advisory board for the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles and San Fernando Bar Associations, the Bel Air Bay Club and the Bel Air Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his wife Karen, his daughter and son, and three granddaughters.

Herbert F. Blanck ’71, originally ofBrooklyn, NY, passed away on October21, 2012.  Blanck studied at the Brooklyn School of Technology and then enlisted at age 17 in the U.S. Army Air Corps to train as a pilot. The war ended before he completed his training, and he then studied at Clarkson School of Technology in Potsdam, NY.  While there, Blanck met Olga, who became his wife of 64 years. Blanck graduated as a chemical engineer and hired by Rocketdyne.  He worked as an aerospace engineer on the Gemini and Apollo space flights. He developed the collapsible fuel tanks for the astronaut capsules, and that design was later used for baby bottles.  At age 40, Blanck started at Loyola Law School.  He graduated and became an appellate attorney.   Upon his retirement, Blanck and Olga moved to Sun River, OR; then to Santa Rosa, CA; and lastly, to Sparks, NV. Blanck was active in the Temple Sinai Talmud Torah group and was an avid golfer. He is survived by his wife, three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Barbara Wenzel Gilfillan Crowley ’74 passed away on August 13, 2012.  Considered a formidable intellect, Wenzel Gilfillan Crowleygrew up in Hyde Park, Chicago and attended University High (University of Chicago Laboratory Schools), earning her bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Chicago.  She and her husband John were married for 63 years and lived in Pasadena, where they raised their family of six children.  Wenzel Gilfillan Crowleyplayed the part of First Lady of Pasadena when her husband was mayor for two years.  As the children grew up, she began her second career (the first one as a mother) as an attorney and was one of the few women in her Loyola Law School class.  She practiced estate, trust and probate law for 25 years at the firm of Barton, Klugman & Oetting in downtown Los Angeles, CA.  Wenzel Gilfillan Crowleyalso had a strong sense of civic responsibility and was active in her  community with the Pasadena PTA, the Descanso Gardens Guild, Westridge School, Women at Work and Los Angeles Beautiful—as well as national organizations.  She is survived by five of her children: Leonard, Philip, Eliot, Louisa and Sylvia, as well as 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.  

Camilla L. Broderick ’77 passed away on September 2, 2012.  Broderickwill be remembered for her love and loyalty to her faith, family and friends.  She was a graduate of Immaculate Heart High School and a graduate of Georgetown University, as well as Loyola Law School.  Her many civic involvements included Immaculate Heart Alumni Association, the St. Francis Center and St. John of God (a board member of each and the recipient of 2012 St. Francis Award and 2006 Caritas Award, respectively), St. Thomas More Society, Holy Name Adoption Services, the Wilshire Bar Association (member and past president) and the Georgetown Alumni Club.

Mary Redus Gayle ’80 died August 26, 2012.  She grew up in Illinois.  During WWII, she knitted mittens and caps for the American troops in Europe, where her father was serving.  Throughout her life, Redus Gayle continually took up new crafts including needlepoint, crewel (embroidery) and sewing.  She graduated from Clarke College in Dubuque, IA and one year later married her husband James in 1951.  The couple and their sons migrated to the West Coast, first to Bakersfield and then to Camarillo, CA. Redus Gayle taught in local high schools as a substitute, served as principal of the Catechism School of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish, and worked for the Kern County Library system—engaging with computers for the first time as catalogs were automated. Redus Gayle then earned a master’s in library science and became the librarian for the Estelle Doheny collection at St. John’s Seminary—the collection of rare books and ancient manuscripts also included fine glass paperweights, which became the subject of Redus Gayle’s monograph, “Paperweights.” Active in civic causes, Redus Gayle was a Camarillo planning commissioner, a city council member and the city’s mayor. All led to her studying law at Loyola. Upon obtaining her JD, she practiced with Burke, Williams and Sorenson as a partner.  Throughout her law practice, she also served as city attorney for many small, southern and central California cities. One of her final career successes was serving on the Ventura County Transportation Commission, which brought Metrolink into Ventura County.  She is survived by her children, grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Judy L. (Aiken) Driver ’88, born in Portland, OR was raised with her siblings in Sun Valley, CA.  She graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara and began work in social services.  For a short period, Driverwas a stay-at-home mother and then resumed work as a legal secretary, moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles, CA.  She studied at Loyola, working full-time while attending law school at night and raising her son as a single parent.  Drivernot only graduated, but received the American Jurisprudence Award in ethics, counseling and negotiation, and graduated in the top third of her class.  She began work as an attorney and opened her own law practice in San Bernardino, CA.  Driver later married her husband Ronald and expanded her family by two more children. Sheworked in private practice until her passing. Driver will be remembered for her passionate fight for her beliefs and her dedication to helping people who could not help themselves. She is survived by her mother, two siblings, her husband, sons and daughter, four grandchildren and six Godchildren.

Robyn A. Deppe ’89, private practitioner, was born in Melbourne, Australia and passed away on June 14, 2012 in San Gabriel, CA. She is survived by her husband Wendell Deppe, her two children Paul and Rae and their spouses, and six grandchildren. 

Robert N. Norris ’89 of Heath, TX passed away on October 4, 2012.   He was born in Osage County, OK and graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, as well as Loyola Law School. Norris was active in the communities where he resided. In Granada Hills, CA he served as president of Rotary and was a two-term president of the Chamber of Commerce. In Heath, TX, he served on the Rockwall County Helping Hands board and was active in Boy Scout Troop 314.  Norris is survived by wife Nancy, his sons Jesse and Ryan, and his parents.

Special Note:  Hon. Rodney G. Forneret ’74, who passed away in 2009, was posthumouslyinducted into the John M. Langston Bar Association Hall of Fame on October 27, 2012.  The Langston Bar Association was founded as a law club in the mid-1960s to support a small group of African-American. The Langston Bar Association’s 21st Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony honors lawyers who have practiced law for 35 years or more, and who have made significant contributions to the community.  Judge Forneret first began his legal career as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney. Later, he co-founded the Law Offices of Wilson and Forneret and specialized in criminal defense.  He was elected commissioner to the Compton Municipal Court and then appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the Inglewood Municipal Court.  He served for 27 years at the Inglewood Courthouse, and was one of the founding members of the California Association of Black Lawyers.  Judge Forneret was commited to service, community and the family.  In 1997, he received the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Municipal Court Judge of the Year Award for his leadership and his implementation of domestic violence programs and development of programs to reduce court backlogs.  He was elevated to the Superior Court in 2000 and daily demonstrated his dedication to serving his profession and the public.