Once more, we are mourning the passage of one of the giants of the civil justice reform movement. Cary Roberts died in Austin on December 3. We have attached his obituary so that you can see all of his many accomplishments and contributions to our state and the Austin and Abilene communities that he loved.
I had the great privilege of working with Cary from the establishment of the Judicial Education Alliance in the early 1990s, throughout his invaluable service to TCJL as Communications Director for more than a decade in the 2000s, and finally in his capacity as an expert consultant to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform and other civil justice reform organizations and efforts. Cary had wide-ranging interests and spoke knowledgeably and fluently on history, philosophy, the arts of government, and many other subjects. He was thoughtful life-long learner who never settled into dogmatic positions or knee-jerk reactions. This quality informed his expertise in policy and political matters and gave him vast insight into the ways and means of the Texas Legislature.
More importantly, he was a humane and compassionate individual who dedicated his life to education, community service, and assisting youth to make their way in the world. Few of us leave such a deep impression in two communities, as Cary was equally beloved in his hometown of Abilene and adopted hometown of Austin. I will never forget his kindness, sense of humor, wit, and intelligence, no matter the difficulty of the situation or the pressure of the moment. He never got rattled nor lost his sense of proportion. Texas has lost one its best, but he made us all better while we were fortunate enough to have him.
Loading...
Reload document 
Open in new tab 
