James Dean Jensen

1943 - 2020

James Dean Jensen

The Honorable James Dean Jensen, 77, passed away on Thursday, August 6, 2020. The son of Uffe and Mary Jensen, he was born in Denver, Colorado in 1943, and raised in Akron, Ohio, along with his three surviving sisters, Judy Schultz, Mary Kay Jensen, and Tina Sullivan. A loving and much-loved husband and father, he is survived by his wife of 27 years, Lynn (Blue) Jensen; children, Tracy Jensen, Tammy (Jeff) Lakatos, Tim (Joy) Jensen; and stepsons, Dean Moore and Tyler Stevens.

Jim graduated from Wittenberg University in 1966 before pursuing a legal career that would span half a century. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Toledo College of Law, where he would later teach civil procedure, torts, and trial advocacy as Adjunct Professor, and also serve as Assistant Coach of the Mock Trial team. He often said that teaching and mentoring were among the most rewarding practices in his career.

In 1975, Jim joined the United States Department of Justice as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. His appellate and trial skills were widely respected, earning him the position of Senior Litigation Counsel—one of only 33 in the country—and later, the role of Assistant Director of the Attorney General's Advocacy Institute. During his time in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jim lectured at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in both Washington, D.C. and Quantico, Virginia, often sporting a bow tie and braces, as was the fashion of D.C. at the time.

Upon his return to Toledo, Jim became a partner at the law firm of Spengler, Nathanson, litigating civil and criminal cases. He moved to the other side the bench in 1995, when he was appointed to the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas. He was elected to the seat in 1996, and re-elected in each subsequent ballot, ultimately occupying the same courtroom in which he first clerked. His love for the architecture and history of the courthouse was so great, he would often provide history tours to people who had been called for jury duty. In 2013, he was elected to the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals, where he presided until retiring in 2019. Judge Jensen was a vibrant member of the legal community, serving as President of the Toledo Bar Association and later on the Board of Governors of the Ohio State Bar Association, where he made some very dear friends. He was also a long-time volunteer judge for Drug Court, a program which offered probation and community service rather than prison time. He generously offered support and mentoring to young lawyers and new judges. In recognition of his judicial integrity, legal acumen, and steadfast professionalism, Jim will receive the prestigious Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence in September, 2020. He responded to the news with characteristic humility, remarking to his family, "I'm not sure why I'm being rewarded for simply doing my job," a comment indicative of both his midwestern work ethic and Danish aversion to accolades.

Judge Jensen's distinguished career never took precedence over his roles as father and husband, however. He took profound joy in traveling with his beloved wife, Lynn, with whom he laughed every day. He attended and coached countless softball games, dutifully recorded splits at track and cross country meets, and cheered his children on at every opportunity, enthusiastically supporting athletic and educational endeavors alike. An accomplished athlete who enjoyed competing against himself the most, Jim became an avid golfer later in life and ostensibly relished the self-torture of constantly improving his swing. A consummate prankster and dedicated dad-joke teller, he brought laughter and lightheartedness to each day, even and especially in tough times (he liked to quip to nurses that cremation was his last chance at a smoking-hot bod). He handled his cancer with the same courage, candor, and wit he applied to all other areas of life. He will be missed, deeply and daily, by all who were fortunate enough to know and love him.

The family would like to recognize and thank Dr. Timothy Kasunic, Dr. Donald Vogel, Marci Catignani, Judy Siebeneck, and the wonderful nurses at Toledo Clinic Oncology, Toledo Hospital Interventional Radiology and Hospice of Northwest Ohio, all of whom treated him with such love and compassion.

Out of concern for those James Jensen cared for and who cared for him, memorial services are being delayed during the pandemic. When conditions allow, we will announce a gathering to celebrate him and a life well-lived. In lieu of flowers, friends who wish may contribute to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, the Toledo Bar Association, or the Melanoma Research Foundation. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Ansberg-West Funeral Directors, 419-472-7633. To send his family online condolences please visit www.ansberg-west.com.

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