So many knew Harry Lemmon as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, which he served upon for more than 20 years.
And many knew him as their teacher at Loyola Law School – where he would teach classes early in the morning before departing for the Supreme Court – as well as at Tulane and LSU.
But to the people who knew the Luling man best – his family, and his friends – Lemmon was a man of integrity who treated others with respect, and above all else, kindness.
“He truly had a gift for making other people feel good about themselves in nearly every interaction with him,” said his wife of 64 years, Mary Ann Vial Lemmon. “Harry’s most memorable trait was his kindness and respect for others.”
At the age of 94, Lemmon passed away on Good Friday, April 18. His life was celebrated last week at his memorial service held at Holy Name of Jesus Church at Loyola University.
Mary Ann said her husband’s desire and willingness to do the right things for the right reasons, regardless whether the choice is popular or not, was his defining trait.
“He insisted on taking the time to be thorough and fair in every decision he made,” Mary Ann said.
She spoke of a story told by United States District Judge Darrel Papillion to illustrate this.
“(Papillion) was assigned (as a law clerk) to draft an order with the decision of the court on a stay of execution in a death penalty case,” Mary Ann said. “When he was nearly finished drafting the decision, his Justice called him to say ‘stop.’ Harry just called and changed his mind – he needed to think about it more, she told him.”
The law clerk’s first instinct, after spending hours drafting the decision, was one of confusion.
“’Changed his mind? In a stay of execution?’” Mary Ann continued. “’Who does that?’ Then, he realized the lesson from Harry of complete contemplation. ‘Who does that? A really good judge does that.’ He said he takes that lesson with him to court every day, even now.”
Lemmon’s son Patrick described his father as kind, considerate and very deliberative in what he said and did – someone whose word carried weight.
“He rarely had a negative word to say about anyone,” Patrick said. “And when he did, it came from a deeply considered place. Dad’s comments were never off the cuff, but the result of cautious thinking and consideration. When he spoke, it was always worth listening to.”
Patrick said that Lemmon often received visits from clerks – those who worked with him, but also with other judges – seeking advice.
“One of his clerks spoke to me at the funeral (about that) … he said they didn’t always like what he had to say, but they always respected it and took it seriously,” Patrick said.
In 1930, Lemmon was born in Morgan City to Earl and Gertrude Lemmon. After serving in the Army, he enrolled at Loyola Law School.
It was there he met the love of his life, Mary Ann – his partner both in life and in law.
“That brought us together,” said Mary Ann, a U.S. District Court judge. “We knew we were the luckiest people in the world and we treasured every moment of our lives together.”
In 1970, he was elected to the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal – after only seven years in private practice and having never been a trial judge -. where he served until he was elected to the Supreme Court of Louisiana in 1980.
He chaired the Ainsworth Lecture Committee, which brought prestigious national and international dignitaries to speak at Loyola. He served on the Visiting Committee for Loyola Law School, where he ensured that the curriculum met the highest standards of professional education. He co-authored Louisiana Civil Law Treatise on Civil Procedure with Professor Frank L. Maraist.
Lemmon’s civic involvement included serving on the Board of Directors of Associated Catholic Charities, the American Judicature Society, and the American Inns of Court. He chaired the Board of Governors of the Louisiana Judicial College and the American Bar Association’s Appellate Judges Education Institute and served on multiple Louisiana Law Institute committees.
His honors and awards include induction into the Morgan City High School Athletic Hall of Fame, Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Jurist Award, Loyola Law School St. Ives Award, an honorary degree from LSU, induction into LSU Law Center’s Hall of Fame, honorary membership in LSU’s Order of the Coif, and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Loyola Law School.
Patrick noted that during most of Lemmon’s tenure on the Supreme Court, Lemmon served as the swing vote.
“His impact on jurisprudence was enormous and long lasting,” Patrick said. “As author of a law text and as a teacher, he influenced generations of lawyers. So many of his students (and clerks as mentioned above) speak of him as the most inspiring teacher they had, not just in the practice of law but in living life well.”
Four of Harry and Mary Ann’s six children pursued careers in law, including daughter Lauren, who served 15 years on the bench of the 29th Judicial Court for St. Charles Parish – inspired, she said, by the integrity her parents showed in their careers.
But what he did in and around the courtroom was only part of his life – and part of what inspired his children.
During Patrick’s eulogy of his father, he recalled a time where he and his siblings, during childhood, saw Lemmon’s compassion for others firsthand.
“Possibly my most intense memory was back in the early 1970s when dad and the six kids all piled into the van to get Icees at the Time Saver … when we got there, all the kids excitedly ran to the counter to get our sugar rush, but dad noticed a man outside the store on the pay phone … he had a rag around his hand, which was bleeding badly,” Patrick said. “He’d been stabbed, and he was calling the police to warn them that he might pass out from blood loss on his way to Charity Hospital, about 25 miles away. He didn’t think he’d be treated at our small-town local hospital, because he was poor and Black.”
Lemmon insisted that the man come with them so he could drive him to the hospital, ensuring he got the care he needed.
“I don’t know how this was paid for, but it would not surprise me if dad handled that too, quietly and without taking credit. It was just the right thing to do,” Patrick said.
Lemmon was a family man, through and through, and that’s how his wife and children alike will remember him most – as well as his grandchildren.
“One of my favorite memories – one that feels etched into my childhood – was how every family gathering felt complete the moment he walked in,” said Lemmon’s grandson, Patrick Leary. “We’d all be out front, all the grandkids playing basketball. And it became a tradition: as soon as Papa pulled up with Mamie, we’d pass him the ball. No matter how old he got, no matter how much pain he might’ve been in, he never turned it down. He always took the shot.
“It wasn’t really about the shot, though. It was about what it meant. That moment was how I knew – we were all together. The family was complete. That’s who he was. A man who showed up, every single time.”
