David Banks Sebree Jr.

David Banks Sebree, Jr., “The Squire”, gave up his ghost from this world at 7:05 AM on March 2, 2016. Dave passed away from natural causes following a long decline due to a broken heart resulting from the loss of his love -- his wife, Lu -- in 2007. Dave was 86, exactly one week shy of his 87th birthday.

Dave was a brilliant, wonderful, generous, tough, gifted man, father, husband, grandfather, lawyer, historian, and lobbyist. He had a persistent sense of humor, a sharp wit, and coming from the mountains of East Kentucky, he was a beguiling and entertaining story-teller who never let the facts get in the way of a good yarn. Literally until just before he slipped into unconsciousness, when asked by care-givers how he was doing, he would respond, “Well, considering my age and bad habits, not bad!”

Dave was born on March 9th, 1929 in Evansville, Indiana. His mother was Drucilla Posey (Marcum) Sebree from Manchester, Kentucky. His father was David Banks Sebree, Sr. from Sebree, Kentucky.

Dave was the only child of his parents. When very young, they moved to what became his hometown, Frankfort, Kentucky. He thrived in Frankfort making many close and life-long friends.

Dave began his college years at Virginia Military Institute and then transferred to the University of Kentucky. His undergraduate years were interrupted by the Korean War during which Dave served in the United States Army as a Sergeant First Class. He continued to serve in the Reserves and was discharged as a First Lieutenant.

Following the Korean War, he travelled with his close friend, John C. Noel, across the United States and Mexico. He then returned to the University of Kentucky where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. Subsequently, he attended the University of Kentucky Law School where he attained a Doctor of Jurisprudence.

Having distinguished himself as having an unusually brilliant mind, upon graduation from law school, Dave was one of the very few people who was offered to serve as a Briefing Attorney on the United States Supreme Court. Unfortunately, Justice Minton suffered a stroke that summer and Dave missed his opportunity to shake up the nation’s highest court. However, during his legal career, Dave was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court where he argued and won several cases.

Beginning his career, Dave served as a First Assistant in the Kentucky Attorney General’s office. He was one of the country’s early pioneers in environmental law. Long before the passage of our country’s major environmental acts, Dave creatively used old laws and new arguments (significantly including old Army Corps of Engineers permit laws) to bring suits in order to stop the discharge of pollutants into the waters of Kentucky and the Ohio River. Following their defeat at the hands of this innovative and maverick attorney, some of the major industrial companies realized it would be better to quit fighting him and offered to hire him.

Accordingly, Dave accepted a position with the DuPont Company in Wilmington Delaware in 1966 to lead the environmental law section of their law department. Among numerous accomplishments, Dave is credited with being the original person to conceive of the Environmental Protection Agency (although today’s EPA is not what he originally had in mind).

In 1980 Dave was promoted as DuPont and Conoco’s Manager for the Southwest Region and moved to Austin, Texas. He was responsible for Texas, California, Kentucky, Arizona, Nevada, Arkansas, and periodically for Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

In Texas, he chaired the Texas Chemical Council’s Legislative Advocacy Committee and he served on the legislative committees of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, The Texas Taxpayer’s Association, and the Texas Association of Business. He was known for his creative and inventive approaches to legislative challenges and for being generous with his knowledge, wisdom, and friendship. He retired December 31, 1995.

Dave married Lulu Belle Ward of Glasgow Kentucky in 1957. He sired two sons who caused him to endure unmitigated sufferings throughout their childhoods, David Banks Sebree, III and Benjamin Ward Sebree both of Austin Texas. As a father and mother, Dave and Lu created an extremely close-knit, loyal, and mutually-loving family. He was the absolute best possible example of a father and of a man living a life of honesty, patience, good humor, and integrity.

He is survived by his two sons, their wives, Katy and Chrisy, and his grandchildren, Zach, Luke, and Sam who will do their best to honor his example, to think about and to miss him to the end of their days, and to wish him farewell as he begins his next journey.

The family thanks his care-givers at The Emeritus and Silverado Hospice of Austin, and his long-time physician, Dr. Allen Sonstein.

A memorial service in his honor will be held at High-Noon, on Wednesday, March 9th at his church, the Manchaca United Methodist Church, 1011 Farm to Market Road 1626, Manchaca, Texas 78653.

If so inclined, condolences or personal remarks may be sent personally to any of the family members or by and through Cook Walden Funeral Home at www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com.

Finally, if inclined, donations in his name may be made to:

Austin Children’s Shelter

4800 Manor Rd

Austin, TX 78723

Phone: (512) 258-4579

Safe Place Austin

1515 Grove Blvd

Austin, TX 78741

Phone: (512) 267-7233