Terry L Scarborough

Born July 26, 1946, Terry Lane Scarborough made the most of his time on earth, and like the best trial lawyers, he left the “jury” wanting more. A devoted husband, beloved father and grandfather, close friend and steadfast law partner, Terry died on his own terms—peacefully in his home—on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the age of 79. When the final verdict is announced for him in heaven, he will surely count it as his greatest victory yet!

Terry was born and raised on a farm in West Texas, the middle child of three brothers. Living on a farm teaches you a lot about life, and Terry readily absorbed those lessons as he amassed his fair share of 4-H ribbons. His mother, Shirley Hagood, and father, William “Dub” Scarborough, instilled in Terry and his brothers, Pat and Max, a respect for hard work, manual labor, and a resilient spirit.

Terry played football from an early age, helping lead the underdog Petersburg Buffaloes to the Class 1A High School Texas State championship in 1963. Terry accepted a scholarship to play football at Texas Tech, joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity where he formed lifetime bonds, and later served as chapter president. Upon graduation, Terry started law school at Texas Tech and then transferred to the University of Texas, where he earned his J.D. in 1971.

After graduating law school, Terry joined the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, where he quickly rose through the ranks. Terry went into private practice in 1973, was elected President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association in 1981 and later joined forces with Kent Hance to found Hance Scarborough LLP in 1994. Over the course of 50 years, Terry was a familiar presence in State and Federal courtrooms, trying over 200 civil and criminal jury trials to verdict throughout Texas. His mesmerizing presence earned accolades, including induction into the American Board of Trial Advocates and the International Society of Barristers.

Along the way, Terry married the love of his life, Lillian (Cissy) Scarborough in 1990. Cissy brought out the best in Terry, and together they raised a blended family that welcomed friends, family, and laughter.

Although Terry was a formidable presence in the courtroom, “Pappy” was a pushover when it came to his ten grandchildren: Sayler, Quentin, Saxon, Tatum, Boone, Karly, Sawyer, Kendall, Beatrice, and Emmeline. When they asked him to wrestle or get in the pool or go in the boat or visit Snow Beach, he didn’t say no. He attended countless games, recitals, and performances of all his grandchildren and could not have been prouder of each of them.

Of course, Terry’s five children wonder where the “pushover” version of their father was when they were growing up! Ryan, John, and Kathryn remember the somewhat stricter version of their father, who believed in spanking just long enough to renounce it when their youngest brother, Lane, was born! As an only child in a blended “yours, mine, and ours” family, Eric got the best of both worlds—a second father-figure who came into his life when he was long past the age of getting spanked! Terry never kept his love a secret. Terry was his children’s role model, coaching their teams, attending their games and performances, doling out life advice (often from a yellow legal pad), and making sure he was present in each of their lives. In fact, he often didn’t wait for an invitation, and instead simply announced when he would be there to show his love and offer guidance.

Perhaps Terry’s strongest commitment to family was his decision to fight an aggressive and deadly form of leukemia that led doctors to give him just months to live when he was first diagnosed. Channeling his inner “General Patton,” and building on a lifetime commitment to personal fitness, Terry survived a debilitating stem cell transplant that took a toll but gifted him a few more years to see his two youngest grandchildren born.

The best parts of Terry live on with those who were blessed to know his love and friendship. Those who wish to celebrate his life are welcome to attend a celebration of his life in Austin, Texas at Riverbend Chapel at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, 2026, followed immediately by a reception at Austin Country Club.