James "Jim" Russell Leahy

James Russell Leahy (Jim, Jimmy) was born in Raton, New Mexico on the 26th of October 1945, to Harold Creston Leahy, Jr. and Mary Elizabeth Corey Leahy and died on Sunday, the 23rd of June 2024, at MD Anderson Cancer Center, surrounded by his family.

The son of an Air Force colonel, Jim grew up all over the United States. He spent memorable time in Maine and Arkansas before his family eventually settled in Austin, Texas, where he graduated from Lanier High School. Jim was an outstanding high school athlete, attracting the attention of Darrell K Royal, the head football coach at the University of Texas, who walked onto the field after one of Jim’s high school games and offered him a football scholarship. Jim attended UT, where he lettered in football, was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and the Silver Spurs, and graduated with a marketing degree. In December of his senior year, Jim met his future wife, Helen Hosey, on a blind date. They married on the 6th of September 1969.

After graduating from the University of Texas, Jim joined the United States Marine Corps, entering a program in which he attended law school while participating in summer training. After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1971, Jim began his service as a United States Marine in Quantico, Virginia, followed by Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, and then Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, where he and Helen celebrated the birth of their first child, Mike. After his final assignment in Okinawa and the completion of his commitment, he and Helen moved to Houston, where their daughter, Corey, was born. Jim was a dedicated Marine who served as a prosecutor and a military judge and attained the rank of captain.

Jim’s practice of law spanned five decades and defined his life. He began his civilian career at Reynolds, Allen & Cook. He later joined Baker, Brown, Sharman & Parker, which became Brown, Parker & Leahy. He enjoyed many happy years at this firm through its transition to the Houston office of Thompson Knight. He continued his career at Locke Lord and ultimately Greenberg Traurig, where he served as the chair of energy litigation. Jim loved being a lawyer, taking great pride in representing his clients as well as being a mentor to younger lawyers, many of whom still recount his colorful stories and aphorisms. Among his many professional accomplishments, Jim was proud to be a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and was honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Lawyer.

Throughout his life, Jim was motivated by his strong sense of duty and responsibility to his wife, his children and their families, and to his profession, leaving little time for hobbies. Despite this, he was good at everything he tried—fishing, hunting, bowling, cards, trivia…. In his later years, he enjoyed being a grandfather to his seven grandchildren, often showing up in his Corvette to take them to get hot dogs at James Coney Island on Saturday afternoons. Jim and Helen loved joining their grandchildren on special “birthday vacations” and celebrated many happy occasions with them at the Forest Club.

Though his bout with bile duct cancer was arduous, he remained determined to the end. Jim was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was a loyal friend and maintained relationships with people he had met throughout his life. We are grateful for the extra time we got to spend with him, and we will miss him dearly.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Mary Jane Leahy. He is survived by his wife of fifty-four years, Helen, as well as their children and families: Mike and Jay Leahy and their children Andrew and Marlow-Grace; Corey and Joe Marrs and their children Bradley, Jimmy, William, Anne, and Teddy. Jim is also survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Phil and Phyllis Hosey; his nephew Tom Hosey and wife, Joy, and their daughter, Mallory Buckley and husband, Price; and his niece, Denise Parcelluzzi and her son, Matthew Parcelluzzi.

A memorial service will be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Tuesday the 9th of July, at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, officiated by the Rev. Dr. Wick Stuckey of Chapelwood United Methodist Church, where Jim and his family were long-time members. Immediately following, all are invited to join the family during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude memorial contributions in Jim’s honor be directed to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at https://gifts.mdanderson.org/ or Chapelwood United Methodist Church, 11140 Greenbay St, Houston, TX 77024.

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