David Morris Feldman

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sudden passing of our dad, grandfather, brother, and friend, David Morris Feldman. Dave was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to Leo and Sylvia Feldman. In post-war America, Sylvia and Leo had been winding their way around the country and decided to stay for some time in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where their youngest child, David, was born on August 19, 1949.

At a very young age David, with his parents and siblings, moved to Brooklyn, New York. He spent his early years watching Yankee games on television with his brother Armin, and the two of them could often be found rooting for the Mets at the Polo Grounds. Dave revered Jackie Robinson and never forgave the Brooklyn Dodgers for moving to Los Angeles. In the early 1960s he listened with his brother to the radio, rooting for Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), and he stayed up late into the night cheering with jubilation when John Kennedy prevailed over Richard Nixon. Dave never forgot the heartbreak he experienced on November 22, 1963, and it is fair to say President Kennedy remained an inspiration to Dave for the rest of his life.

Dave loved to play baseball with friends and ran track in high school. He also considered himself a decent stick ball player. Dave worked at his father’s jewelry store in Manhattan while attending Stuyvesant High School. A truly gifted student, Dave had numerous options in terms of college. However, he decided to leave the intensity of New York City and return to the state where he was born.

In 1970, Dave graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was also a member of the LSU ROTC. From those days as an undergrad at LSU and beyond, Dave often had Creedence Clearwater Revival, Otis Redding, and the Beatles playing in the background.

Following graduation from LSU Dave moved to Fort Benning Georgia where he began his 2 years of active military service in the U.S. Army from 1970-72. At Fort Bragg, Dave was immediately assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) where he exhibited the qualities of an effective advocate. This proved to be the beginning of Dave’s legal career.

In 1973 after the Army, Dave accepted a position at NASA, in Houston, Texas. While working full time at NASA and juggling the duties of a husband and father, Dave bought a house in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake with the help of the GI Bill, and attended night school at South Texas College of Law where he graduated in 1977 at the top of his class. Dave was subsequently hired by the Houston law firm, Vinson & Elkins, where he eventually became a partner. He later founded the firm Feldman, Rogers, Morris and Grover, and following a successful career in the private sector, he became the City Attorney of Houston, Texas. Following his time as City Attorney of Houston, Dave joined his eldest son Cris and formed the law firm Feldman & Feldman, where he will always remain as a presence.

In addition to his professional life, which was focused on labor, employment, school, and governmental law, Dave served in many leadership positions at organizations he was passionate about including The Harris Center for Mental Health and the Southwest Region Board of the Anti-Defamation League. Dave also spent many years as a professor at South Texas College of Law giving back to the students that were following in his footsteps. Dave was an avid tennis player, and he loved the Houston Astros. He was, above all, a loving and generous father to Cris, Seth and Lera, and Dave absolutely adored his grandchildren, who viewed him as a larger-than-life figure.

Dave was a great friend, admired and respected by more people than he would ever know. He fought for justice and was a passionate believer in the Civil Rights Movement and the promise of the United States as a place of endless possibilities. He believed that the individual freedoms of all Americans should be defended and fought for.

For the last several years Dave was a resident of Dana Point, California, where he lived with his beloved dog, Danny. He is survived by his sons, Cristen David and Seth David, his daughter, Valeria Dennevna, his grandchildren Max David, Asher David, David Timothy Richard, Seth David Jr., Coralie Charlotte, and his siblings, Lenore, Honi and Armin.

A Memorial Service celebrating Dave’s life will be held on August 4, 2023, at 3:00 PM, at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.pacificviewcalifornia.com for the Feldman family.