Attorney and Author
“Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum.” - Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
David was born in Lubbock, TX to Monte and Frances Lee. David was proud of his father, a decorated WWII veteran, and Frances, simply stated, was the love of David’s life. Monte and Frances were of the Greatest Generation, having grown of age during The Great Depression. They imparted their generosity of heart and nonmaterialistic ways to David, which remained with him throughout his life. Monte, an engineer for the federal government, accepted a job in DC but wanted to raise the family in a small town and transferred to Oklahoma. Monte and Frances perused the state map and put a finger on the town of Pauls Valley because of its proximity to Norman and Oklahoma City and its name. Pauls Valley was the quintessential small town and David often reminisced about running through the Johnson grass and exploring the woods near their home, walking to the library and along the way making lifelong friends. The family spent Sundays at the Methodist Church, and in high school David served as state president of Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF). David was a sprinter (and later ran 11 marathons) and lettered on the track team; a wide receiver, lettering in football; became an Eagle Scout; was the keyboard player in a garage band, “The Weids,” and was voted most handsome by his senior class! He loved his small town and credited much of his success to his small-town upbringing and to the teachers and coaches that imprinted his life.
David attended OU with the aid of ROTC, working odd jobs throughout as a stocker and cashier at The Corner Market and the bookstore in the Student Union. He received his bachelor’s in finance and a law degree. He pledged SAE after assuring his pledge class he would forgo carrying a briefcase through the South Oval to class every day. He also landed a house boy gig in the Theta house. He was looking forward to serving breakfast to the coeds but was rather swiftly demoted to KP duty in the kitchen by the house mom for being “slovenly.”
David was in ROTC through undergrad and law school, at once being grateful for the opportunity to continue his education while burdened with guilt for skirting the horrors of Vietnam. While in law school, David volunteered in Oklahoma City at Legal Aid and as a public defender at Oklahoma City Municipal Court. He was proud to be a civil rights activist during the turbulent times of the late 1960s. He abhorred the oftentimes-cruel treatment of his African American friends.President John F. Kennedy was his hero. David held the tragedy of President Kennedy’s assassination close to heart throughout his life.
After law school graduation, David headed to Fort Sill for basic training and was then deployed to Fort Gordon, Georgia, received a commission, and completed his military obligation. Following his stint at Fort Gordon, David moved to New York City and worked as a legal intern for Tom Hoffman, his mentor at Oklahoma Legal Aid, who was from New York City. Eventually, he returned to Oklahoma and was without a job for a few weeks, saying it humbled him beyond measure. John Lanning, a Kappa Sig who was a fellow house boy with David at the Theta house, was currently the DA in Bartlesville, and he was looking for an assistant and David was hired. David gained immense trial experience and made cherished friends in Bartlesville.
David then moved to Oklahoma City working first at the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office, followed by the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant to Andy Coats, and finally at the Attorney General’s Office as first assistant attorney general and as chief of the criminal and federal divisions for three attorneys general: Jan Eric Cartwright, Mike Turpen and Robert Henry. Lastly, David was honored to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Oklahoma for then-U.S. Attorney David L. Russell.
For 25 years David authored and updated biannually “The Handbook of Section 1983 Litigation,” published by Wolters Kluwer, NYC., and he was considered by many to be an expert in civil rights law. He argued numerous cases before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. David served as an adjunct law professor at OU and OCU. He loved the law and shared his passion for it with his many students. He lectured throughout the United States, including Georgetown Law, and appeared on Flash Point. He even had an appearance on Good Morning America to discuss a case he argued before the Supreme Court. Eventually David went into private practice, which he continued until his illness prevented him from working.
While some would consider David a bit of a Renaissance man, he characterized his intellect to that of possessing interest in many things, not of raw intelligence. He said his little sister Shae (Sharon) “got all the brains” as he would proudly boast about her holding a master’s degree from the OU School of Architecture. He had an insatiable thirst to take life all in through many mediums – music, from reggae to opera; all forms of art; he dappled in photography, with his bathroom as the dark room, and reading his library collection of 450 books, which includes the Bible, “The Iliad,” Shakespeare, poetry, American history, world history, biographies and historical fiction. The last books he read were in 2018 and titles range from “The Price of Peace,” “The Earth is Weeping,” “Saving Central Park,” “From Alexander to Cleopatra” and “The Eichmann Trial.” His favorite movie was Lawrence of Arabia.
David yearned to understand cultures and world religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism. He visited Israel three times. He loved traveling, particularly by train throughout Europe. He sailed for ten days in The Grenadines, and went to Africa twice to build a church and a medical clinic. He was keenly aware of the suffering at home and abroad. He sponsored Compassion International children and he always rolled down his window for the homeless on the curb no matter their circumstances.
David married Mary Carr in 1985, and while the marriage eventually ended in divorce, David was blessed with a son, Taylor, who David adored. David was acquainted with Lynn Gatling Hilton, a federal court reporter he had seen around the courthouse. However, it wasn’t until their mutual friend, Ted Richardson, suggested David ask her out that David approached the subject, using the unique pickup line of, “Do you know you look like Diane Sawyer?” David charmed Lynn and in 1998, they were married at the federal courthouse surrounded by many friends, with David’s old college buddy, John Lanning, officiating. During the ceremony David recited the poem, After Work (PG version), by Gary Snyder and Lynn recited the sonnet, How Do I Love Thee, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. David pleaded with Lynn and succeeded in ending the ceremony with a reading from Justice Holmes.
David led a full life with many opportunities taken and the wealth of good friends. As his days dwindled, Blake and Desiree visited. Desiree was with child. David placed his palm on Desiree’s with-child belly and smiled heartily, cognizant of the circle of life. David’s death was slow and excruciating, and in the final days of his life, Lynn played his favorite music, placed his best four-legged friend Oliver Wendell on the bed next to him, and comforted him as he had faith and pursued the unknown end.
He is survived by his wife, Lynn; his sister, Sharon (Gary) Ross, Carbondale, CO; his first wife, Mary and their son, Taylor, of Madison, WI; sons Bryan (Corry) Hilton of Bethlehem, PA, and Blake (Desiree) Hilton of OKC; grandchildren Asher, Quinn and Noor Hilton; father-in-law, Bob Gatling; brother-in-law, Kyle (Jill) Gatling; and nieces and nephews, Cerisa, Dylan, Rachel, Annika and Ryan and numerous cherished cousins in Texas. Also, his “adopted” sister, Linda (Peter) Krug, the daughter of David’s father’s Army buddy who was killed in action next to Monte before she was born. David was predeceased by his parents, Monte and Frances; his mother-in-law, Martha Gatling; and his sister-in-law, Karol Gatling.
Suggested memorials are Skyline Urban Ministry Skyline (okcskyline.org);The Oklahoma Innocence Project OKIP (okinnocence.org) or your local library.
A celebration of David’s life will be at the First United Methodist Church of Edmond, 305 East Hurd Street, Edmond, OK on December 22, 2023, at 3:30 p.m.
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