COUNTISS, RICHARD NEIL (1936 ~ 2022). The following is an obituary for Judge Dick Countiss. The obituary was provided by Legacy Remembers.

Richard N. "Dick" Countiss, 86 years old, passed away peacefully in Houston, Texas on October 28th at 6:20pm surrounded by family.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, November 5th at 11am at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 5501 Main St. in Houston Texas 77004.

Dick was born in Midland Texas July 1st, 1936. He graduated from Midland High School, McMurry University in Abilene Texas and SMU Law School, where he was editor of the SMU Law Review.

After graduating law school with honors and discharging his military obligation with the 49th Armored Division, Dick was accepted into the U.S. Justice Department's Honor Graduate Program and assigned to the Land and Natural Resources Division. His boss, Ramsey Clark, recognized his skills and used him on several special projects, including the integration of the University of Alabama. His experience working on such an important project was one of Dick's proudest moments and shaped his legal career forever.

Ready to live closer to family, in 1970, Dick and Karen returned to Texas where Dick joined a small law firm, Lynn, Helms and Countiss, in Spearman, Texas and engaged in a broad general practice while also holding leadership positions in his community and statewide with the State Bar of Texas.

In 1972, Dick was elected District Attorney of his three-county district. Then in 1974, Governor Dolph Briscoe appointed Dick to serve as Presiding Judge of the 84th Judicial District Court, seated in Spearman, Texas. During his tenure, Judge Countiss presided over many civil and criminal cases in the panhandle counties of his district. His children have such happy childhood memories growing up in Spearman in the 1970s and Dick and Karen made lifelong friendships there.

But in 1979, a rare opportunity to be appointed to the Court of Appeals for the 7th District of Texas in Amarillo arose and Dick accepted. A lifelong Democrat, it took the backing of many Republican attorneys in Amarillo, Texas, led by Dick's younger brother, Bill Countiss, to persuade Republican Governor Bill Clements to approve Dick's appointment to the appellate bench. This is one of many examples of the bi-partisan respect Dick earned throughout his career.

His time on the appellate court in Amarillo was Dick's favorite position and he was widely regarded as an excellent justice, which set him up for a return to practicing as a lawyer in the 1990s, specializing in appeals. In his resignation letter when leaving the judiciary, Dick told the governor he was tired of being the lowest paid lawyer in the courtroom. That line was picked up by the news media and used by the judiciary to obtain a significant increase in compensation and benefits from the legislature.

Dick initially joined Windle Turley in Dallas, Texas as their appellate lawyer. While there, he taught several courses as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, SMU Law School. Then, he joined the Houston firm Burrow, Countiss and Berry and spent the last years of private practice as appellate counsel to Williams Bailey Law Firm. During this time, Dick taught at the University of Houston Law Center where his Trial and Appellate Procedure class was a student favorite.

In retirement, Dick continued his involvement in legal, civic and church activities and returned to the bench as a visiting judge. And in 2007, he served as District Attorney of San Jacinto County when the D.A. passed away right before the election. This was Dick's final term in public office and brought his lifetime of public service full-circle.

In San Jacinto County, Dick and Karen lived on Lake Livingston for 23 years where they had many happy family gatherings and enjoyed countless beautiful sunsets together. Their bar overlooking the lake was a gathering place for wonderful friends where Dick loved to "hold court."

His oldest son, Jeff, passed away in 2019.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Karen, his sister Sue, his brother and sister-in-law Bill and Mary Dee, his son Mike, his daughter and son-in-law Julie and Stan, and "7 perfect grandchildren."

From Richard:

"Goodbye to my family and friends. It has been a good game and I love all of you. Remember the good times and pass the torch. Our genes carry good talents and strong family ties. Keep them moving"