Lawrence James Pirtle

Lawrence James Pirtle, a devoted brother, husband, father, grandfather, attorney, advisor, and lifelong scholar, passed away peacefully at his home in Houston on Saturday, the 4th of April 2026. He was 86 years of age.

Larry was born in Houston on the 6th of May 1939. After moving to Detroit and Evansville, his family eventually returned to Houston. He graduated from St. Thomas High School, where he distinguished himself as a student-athlete, lettering in both baseball and football. Larry’s life took a meaningful turn when he asked Judy Harris, whom he had noticed through the Catholic Youth Organization, to join him on a double date. Thankfully, Judy said yes, and from that day forward they were inseparable, sharing more than six decades together.

Larry attended the University of Houston, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in accounting. While there, he joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity, served as president, and received the Balfour Award for the Outstanding Sigma Chi Undergraduate from the Texas Province. He continued at the University of Houston Law Center, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1966, demonstrating early on the intellectual rigor and discipline that would define his life and career. Larry served as the Associate Editor of the Houston Law Review and was honored as Chief Baron of the Order of Barons. While pursuing his undergraduate and legal studies, he worked as a coach at St. Vincent de Paul Parish School and as a certified public accountant at Peat Marwick, gaining valuable experience that would shape his professional path.

Larry built a distinguished legal career specializing in tax and estate planning, practicing with respected firms including Childress, Port & Crady; Sewell & Riggs; Gardere Wynne; and Foley & Lardner. His love of the law was always on display with the personal service he provided to his clients and the exacting standards that he demanded in his work. Many young attorneys learned how to draft legal documents with clarity and precision after working with Larry. He served as a member and vice-chairman on the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and was a frequent speaker for Houston Bar continuing legal education programs. A loyal alumnus, he remained deeply engaged with the University of Houston Law Center, serving as a multi-year member and chairman of the Law Alumni Association, Law Foundation, and the Houston Law Review Board of Directors.

In later years, Larry continued to pursue his enduring passion for learning, earning a Master of Liberal Arts degree with a focus on Philosophy from the University of St. Thomas. His intellectual curiosity was boundless, encompassing history, philosophy, poetry, classical music, religion, ethics, and the law. He maintained a lifelong commitment to both physical and mental discipline, enjoying tennis, running, bicycling, and calisthenics alongside his reading and reflection. Larry strongly believed in giving back to his community and took particular pride in volunteering for many years as a judge in the Foley & Lardner annual MLK Jr. Oratory Competition, encouraging young students to explore and express the enduring values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Above all, Larry’s highest priority and greatest joy was his family. He cherished time spent with his wife and daughters, whether at home, on the beach, or in the mountains. He greatly enjoyed collecting his daughters’ artwork and attending their concerts and performances. He took special pride in coaching his children and grandchildren in sports, and in mentoring them to live meaningful, principled lives. The values he instilled, through his words but more by his example, included honesty, integrity, grit, self-discipline, courage, prudence, and the importance of pausing “to take a deep breath,” “to think before you act,” and “to care for mind, body, and spirit.”

Larry will be remembered for his sharp intellect, unwavering integrity, impeccable professionalism, deep faith, humility, and enduring devotion to his family. His legacy lives on in the many lives he counseled, mentored, and shaped, and in the example he set for all who knew him.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Katherine Pirtle; his sister, Sandra Wilczynski; and his beloved wife, Judy.

He is survived by his brothers, Mike Pirtle (Kim), and Pat Hunter-Pirtle (Rae); his daughters, Karen Davis (Paul), Janet Grauberger (Greg), and Sharyn Kaufman (Shawn); and his cherished grandchildren, Matthew Lawrence, John Davis, Daniel Davis, Christopher Lawrence, Will Grauberger, and Amelie Kaufman.

The family wishes to express its profound gratitude to Larry’s devoted caregivers at The Village of River Oaks for the exceptional compassion and support they provided in his final years.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Thursday, the 30th of April, in grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A Mass of Christian Burial is to be offered at half-past nine o’clock in the morning on Friday, the 1st of May, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 3617 Milam Street in Houston, where the Reverend Raymond Cook, OMI is to officiate.

Immediately following all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the nearby Parish Hall.

At a later time, the family will gather for a private Rite of Committal at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the Lawrence and Judith Pirtle Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Houston Law Center. To donate online go to https://giving.uh.edu/law and click on “Law Fund” as the designation and then add “Lawrence and Judith Pirtle Endowed Scholarship Fund” in the “Special Instructions” box.

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