Justine Durrell

1947 - 2022

Justine Durrell
February 1, 1947 - May 19, 2022
Justine Durrell
February 1, 1947 – May 19, 2022
Justine Durrell died peacefully at home in San Rafael, California, on May 19th of complications from cancer, surrounded by friends and family. Justine was a lawyer, spiritual guide, scholarly blogger, poet, mother and devoted friend.
In the 1980's, Justine and her law partner Maja (Hanks) Kristin, were among the first lawyers in the US to represent plaintiffs in sexual abuse lawsuits against Roman Catholic priests. Their pioneering work in bringing these early cases to light, led the way for tens of thousands of other victims to achieve justice.
Justine was a devout believer in the mystical and transcendental, yet she walked this path with practical feet, providing spiritual guidance to others throughout her life. Those values and her organizational skills were key to the success of the World Forum 2007: Justice, Religion and Conflict Resolution, featuring Secretary of State Madeline Albright and author Elie Wiesel, and attracting over 500 participants from 24 countries.
After retiring from law, Justine became an author. She blogged about remarkable women throughout history (https://justinedurrell.net/) and collected her poems in two published volumes. Her poetry reflects her erudition, her love of this world, and a gimlet-eyed vision of herself and others, as exemplified by this poem:
This I Ask
Don't come half-hearted
with doubts clouding your eyes,
unsettling me
like thunderous skies.
I've grown too old
for passions unleashed in summer meadows,
too graceless for riding river runs,
and too jaded for flimsy oaths.
Oh, I don't need you to build me a winter cabin
or to protect me against the forces of a moonless night.
All I need, yes, all I need,
is for you to see me with clear eyes.
Justine was born on February 1, 1947, in Craig, Colorado, as Linda Kowach. She is survived by her son Justin Morgan, granddaughter Tailee Morgan, daughter Sarabecca Barnett, grandson David Barnett, sisters Peggy Ence and Betty Budorick, and a host of loving friends whose lives have been enlarged and enlightened by having known her.
Justine will be remembered at a gathering in San Rafael on June 11. Those who wish to make charitable contributions in Justine's memory are invited to do so benefitting the National Wildlife Federation or the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.