In memoriam: January-February 2026

Stephen James Campbell, age 81, of Lawrence, Kansas, on Sept. 26, 2025. Campbell graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1975. Campbell started working for the United Missouri Bank as a trust officer and retired as senior vice president. Campbell served in the U.S. Air Force. 

David Howard Cook, age 78, of Independence, on July 17, 2025. Cook graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1972. Cook was a partner with Stewart, Cook, Constance, Minton Law Firm. 

Tanya Cromwell, age 44, of Brentwood, Tennessee, on Sept. 25, 2020. Cromwell graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 2001. Cromwell was a lawyer, realtor, and freelance writer. 

Richard Dreitzer, age 56, of Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sept. 15, 2025. Dreitzer graduated from the Washington University School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1995. He worked at several law firms in southern Nevada and was president of the State Bar of Nevada. 

Kenneth I. Fligg Jr., age 90, of Kansas City, on June 3, 2025. Fligg graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1958. Fligg practiced with Slagle and Bernard, now Swanson Bernard. 

Joseph Forshaw IV, age 73, of St. Louis, on Nov. 11, 2025. Forshaw graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1977. He was president of Forshaw of St. Louis Inc. for 30 years. 

William J. Gotfredson, age 80, of Kansas City, on Sept. 14, 2025. Gotfredson graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1970. He practiced law in Kansas City.

Jack R. Itzkowitz, age 70, of St. Louis, on July 24, 2025. Itzkowitz graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1979. Itzkowitz practiced law for over 35 years. 

Leonard “Lenny” Jurden, age 64, of Prairie Village, Kansas, on Sept. 27, 2025. Jurden graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1989. He worked as an accountant, lawyer, computer programmer, entrepreneur, and chief financial officer. 

Hon. Andrew Allen Krohn, age 79, of Princeton, on Dec. 15, 2023. Krohn graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1972. He began practicing law in the Kansas City area, then joined Ron Barker at his law practice in Princeton. Krohn became assistant prosecuting attorney for Mercer County and had a private practice. He was appointed associate circuit judge of Mercer County, then circuit judge of the 3rd Circuit Court. He was of counsel at the Andereck Evans Law Firm. 

Donald Lock, age 83, of Camdenton, on Sept. 14, 2023. Lock graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1969. He worked with banks in St. Joseph and Kansas City before opening a law office in Gladstone, where he practiced bankruptcy, family law, and estate planning for over 40 years. Lock served in the U.S. Army. 

Ray B. Marglous, age 95, of St. Louis, on Nov. 6, 2025. Marglous graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1954. He served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Japan. He worked at the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office and then started his own law practice, representing clients in personal injury and other civil cases. 

Jack Franklin Olson, age 84, of Greenville, South Carolina, on Feb. 21, 2025. Olson graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School and was an associate at Ross and Stevens. He moved to Kansas City and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1975. He joined Blackwell Sanders Matheny Weary & Lombardi as a litigation partner. He co-founded the firm of Olson and Marmaduke in Portland, Oregon, and later founded a dispute resolution company.

Mark Joseph Pelts, age 70, of Kennett, on Dec. 2, 2025. Pelts graduated from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, Texas, and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1979. Pelts returned to Kennett and joined Jones and Stillman, then practiced with Pelts, Stokely & Turnbow. He was city attorney for Kennett and prosecuting attorney for Dunklin County. He was a founding member of Pelts, McMullan & Edgington and formed Pelts Title. 

Hon. Don Peterson, age 70, of Sullivan, on July 23, 2025. Peterson graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1981. He led Peterson Oil Co. and served as Sullivan municipal judge. 

Richard Daly Rhyne, age 77, of Kansas City, on Dec. 29, 2024. Rhyne graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1974. He had a 50-year legal career and served in the U.S. Army. 

Richard Roessler, age 86, of St. Louis, on Oct. 5, 2025. Roessler graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1968. He practiced law for over 60 years and was a partner at the firm Gundlach, Lee, Eggman, Boyle, & Roessler in Belleville, Illinois. 

Stanley Schechter, age 90, of St. Louis, on Oct. 26, 2025. Schechter graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1961. He practiced law in St. Louis for over 50 years. He worked at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and was a guardian ad litem. 

Laura E. Smith, age 54, of Elkhorn, Nebraska, on May 24, 2021. Smith was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1992. 

Tyce Stuart Smith, age 83, of Waynesville, on Oct. 25, 2025. Smith was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1975. 

Allen. H. Surinsky, age 95, of St. Louis, on Sept. 5, 2024. Surinsky was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1952 and practiced for more than 70 years. 

D. Patrick Sweeney, age 66, of Springfield, on May 2, 2025. Sweeney was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1983.

Hon. J. Miles Sweeney, age 79, of Springfield, on Sept. 28, 2025. Sweeney was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1972. He served on the bench for 23 years and was the presiding judge for Greene County for nine years. He founded the Community Alternative Service Program in Springfield and introduced the Children First Program in family court. 

Mary Ann Thalman, age 78, of Gower, on Sept. 18, 2025. Thalman was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1971. 

Marcia Jean Myers Tharnish, age 82, of Las Vegas, Nevada, on Aug. 4, 2025. Tharnish graduated from the Washburn University School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1971. She worked at the Johnson County Bank in Kansas City and then at insurance companies settling damage claims and real estate sales. 

Michael J. Valenti, age 65, of St. Louis, on Nov. 1, 2025. Valenti graduated from the Saint Louis University School of Law and was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 1986. He was an accountant at Price Waterhouse, then a prosecuting attorney for Jefferson County. He was the city attorney for St. Charles from 2003 until he retired in 2021. 

James “Jay” Joseph Zych, age 53, of St. Louis, on Nov. 3, 2025. Zych was admitted to The Missouri Bar in 2002 and worked as a litigation lawyer.