William Kearney Christovich

CHRISTOVICH William Kearney Christovich died on April 10, 2012 at home surrounded by a devoted family. He is survived by his loving and much loved wife of 62 years, Mary Louise Mossy, by two daughters: Anne Therese (Terry) Gay (Jack Fernandez) and Marie Elise (Kit) Grote (Mark) and two sons: Michael Mossy Christovich (Carolyn Seale), and Jeffery James Christovich (Kathy Shannon), as well by 10 grandchildren: Keenan Ellis Grote, William Armand Grote, William Kearney Gay, John-Michael Christovich, Eli James Gay, Elyria Kearney Eileen Grote, Michelle Mossy Christovich, Amanda Rachel Christovich, Olivia Harriss Christovich, Cameron Wiley Christovich, and 2 great- grandchildren: William Tate Gay and Kiernan Markwith Grote, one brother Alvin R. Christovich, Jr. William (Bill/Chris) was born in New Orleans in 1927 to Alvin Richard Christovich and Elyria Kearney Christovich. He graduated from Jesuit High School, attended Tulane University one semester before joining the U. S. Navy during WWII, serving as a radioman aboard the USS Wingfield DE 194. After discharge from the Navy Reserve, he completed an undergraduate year before entering Tulane Law School. Graduating in 1950, he joined the law firm Christovich & Kearney where he became a partner practicing civil defense trial work, specializing in products liability, litigating maritime disputes and accidents and professional liability contests. He represented corporations and individual clients, including many doctors and lawyers, in trials throughout the state of Louisiana in Federal and State District Courts, Courts of Appeal and the Louisiana Supreme Court. He was noted in "Best Lawyers in America" from that publication's inception until his retirement in 2010 with the epitaph "a lawyer's lawyer." He followed his father as Past President of the International Association of Defense Counsel and became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1976. While a member of the Maritime Association of the United States for over fifty years, he served as an executive member of the defense Research Institute board and held a twenty-year tenure on the Board of Governors of the Louisiana Bar Association, as well as an active membership in the Federal Bar, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the New Orleans Bar Association. He received the Curtis Boisfontaine Trial Advocacy award from the Louisiana Bar Foundation in 1995. The award is given to a Louisiana attorney who exhibits long standing devotion to and excellence in trial practice and upholds the standards of ethics and consideration for the courts, litigants and all counsel. He was a founding/charter member of the Friends of the Cabildo which he incorporated in 1956 and served four-years as Chairman of the Louisiana State Museum Board. He assisted in the establishment of Save Our Cemeteries and the Preservation Resource Center in 1974; currently he has been active as a member of the Laussat Society of the Historic New Orleans Collection, member of the Felicity Street Redevelopment Association, executive-board member of the New Orleans Opera Association. Tennis, golf, and opera along with a weekly lunch with his law school classmates filled his leisure time. He was a lifetime supporter of Jesuit High School, Tulane Law School, a member of Loyola College of Music and Fine Arts Board, and a professor at LSU and Tulane Law Schools; a Tulane Law School Professorship honors him. As a 1950's pioneer of the reclaimed Lake Vista residential area, he represented the lakefront for thirty-five years and was past president of the Lakeshore Property Owners Association. A twenty-five year member of the Garden District Association, he received the Terry Parkensen Award for the restoration of a mid-19th century house. He attended St. Mary's Assumption Church in the Lower Garden District and St. Patrick's on Camp Street and was active in the restoration of both churches. Despite the challenges of his recent illness, he cherished and enjoyed the comfort and love of his extended family, his many friends and colleagues, home and garden. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service on Monday, April 16, 2012 at St. Patrick's Church, 724 Camp St. at 10:00 AM. Visitation from 9:00 AM until service time. To sign the family guest book please visit wwwlakelawnmetairie.com.