Judge William Wayne Kilgarlin

During this same time period, Judge Kilgarlin became very involved in Democratic politics. He was President of the Harris County Young Democrats, President of the Young Democratic Clubs of Texas, 1959-60, and State Representative in the Texas Legislature, 1959-60, and finally the Harris County Democratic Chairman, 1962-66. In the midst of all this hectic activity, he also managed to get his LL.B. from the University of Texas Law School in 1962.

>From 1962 to 1978 he practiced law in Houston and became a very successful plaintiff's attorney, known for his courtroom presence and a "voice" which commanded attention. In 1978 he was appointed Judge of the 215th District Court in Harris County where he served from 1978-82, leaving this position to join The Supreme Court of Texas from 1983-88. After leaving the Supreme Court, he became Of Counsel at Popp and Ikard, an Austin law firm where he still practices.

Judge Kilgarlin has made numerous contributions in the field of the Law, both in Law Journals and Law Reviews, and in seminar presentations (over 50 from 1984 to 1994). He has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Texas Tech, on the faculty of the Texas College of the Judiciary, and was named Court Master to formulate a plan for equality of funding in Texas public schools, 1992-93. The Central Texas American Civil Liberties Union gave him an Outstanding Texas Jurist Award in l988.

Judge Kilgarlin is a man of far-ranging interests and talents. He became involved in politics as a young person and remains passionate about them to this day. He reads widely in history and politics, especially English History and American Politics. He loves nothing more than a lively conversation on politics about which he has very pronounced opinions and knowledge. He is an avid bridge player and holds Silver Life Master status in the American Contract Bridge League. And he is a member of the International Wine and Food Society, so dining with him always means good wine and, even more importantly, good conversation about politics and history and wine.

Margaret Rose Kilgarlin

As a young person, even before she was of voting age, she became a Kennedy girl in the 1960 campaign, designing her own uniform and that of other volunteers. After the campaign, she remained involved in politics, first as a Democratic precinct committee chair and later as President of the Bayou City Democratic Women's Club. She was a devoted Liberal Democrat the rest of her life.

In Houston she became a skilled seamstress, designing and making her own clothes. She also became involved in the arts, winning an award as a top fundraiser for the Houston Symphony Orchestra. She also won public speaking awards as a member of Toastmistress International.

Moving to Austin in 1982 when her husband, Judge Kilgarlin, joined the Supreme Court of Texas, she contributed to the arts in the Austin community, designing and sewing costumes for two community opera productions, serving on the board of Zachary Scott Theatre (and designing costumes for the ushers). Margaret was also a gourmet cook and wine connoisseur who entertained warmly and well at the old castle in Pemberton which she remodeled and restored, acting as her own contractor on the project.

In 1994 she and Judge Kilgarlin retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she continued to grow and learn. She served on the Board of Directors of Pro Musica in Santa Fe, contributed to the Santa Fe Opera, and began to paint. At first her work was representational, influenced by images from operas, but later she moved toward mixed media objects, combining her earlier interest in fabrics with painting techniques. Panels of silk, hand painted in muted tones, overlapped on canvas, creating works that were breathtakingly beautiful and stunningly simple.

She died on December 15th, 2003, after a year-long battle with lung and brain cancer. She was 63.

Last Modified: October 21 2004 14:08:17.