Kevin Kelly Driskill

Our hearts are broken to say goodbye to the best and brightest among us: Kevin Driskill, beloved husband to Catherine, wonderful father to John and David, precious son to Toar and Linda, and terrific brother to Chris and Matthew. For some moments in life, there are simply no adequate words to describe one's feelings of loss and grief. And all the superlatives are not enough to describe Kevin's personal character and his honesty, integrity, skill, accomplishments, and dedication as a lawyer. He was without equal and was greatly admired and respected by his fellow lawyers and friends, many of whom flew across the country to visit him before his death, coming from as far as California, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Arizona, New York, and Washington. Kevin, age 56 years, was born September 18, 1957, in Norman, Oklahoma, to Toar (Terrell) and Linda Driskill, and died on June 8, 2014, in Oklahoma City after a brave eighth-month battle with leukemia. He faced his death with unparalleled grace and courage. Kevin grew up on NW 26th street in OKC, throwing his early morning paper route as a youth, never asking for help even in ice and snow, and coming home to lie on the floor next to the furnace with his paper bag still around his neck. His paper route earned him enough money for his first car and financed his later trip to Boston, where he went to law school. Kevin attended Cleveland Grade School, Taft Jr. High, and Northwest Classen High School, where he was Student Council Vice President. The University of Oklahoma awarded Kevin a prestigious four-year President's Leadership Scholarship, and he went on to graduate OU in 1978 with a BA in Letters from the Classics Department. While at OU, Kevin was a proud member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, serving one year as its president. After graduation, Kevin attended the OU College of Law, always on the Dean's Honor Roll, graduating in 1981. Then it was on to Boston University Law School for an advanced degree, where he graduated second in his class with an LL.M. in Taxation in 1983. Following law school, Kevin worked for a local law firm before starting his own practice in 1991, with specialties in medical malpractice, other insurance defense litigation, business, corporate, estate planning, and employment law. He was a superior litigator, unmatched in skill, eloquence, preparedness of his cases, and sheer dogged determination. Kevin was licensed to practice before all Oklahoma state and federal courts and also the United States Supreme Court. He held memberships in numerous professional and legal organizations and committees, attesting to his dedication in serving the legal community. Kevin's favorite service was his participation with the DRI (Defense Research Institute), in which he served at various times as the Southwest Regional Director and as the DRI Oklahoma State Representative, ultimately receiving the coveted DRI State Leadership Award. Kevin also served in various capacities in the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel, as a member of its Board of Directors, as Chairman of its Legislative Committee, as its Vice President, and its President. Additionally, Kevin was a lecturer and instructor at the OU law school, at the Oklahoma Bar Association, and at various conferences and meetings, both locally and nationally. Although Kevin was taken from us far too soon, his legal career spanned over 35 years, and he participated in well over 900 litigation cases. Kevin is survived by Catherine Clote Driskill, his wife, of the home; son John Driskill of Vail, Colorado; and son David Driskill, a graduate student at OU in Norman. Also surviving are his parents, Toar and Linda Driskill, Oklahoma City; brother Christopher Driskill and his wife, Carla, Oklahoma City; and brother Matthew Driskill and his wife, Emmanuelle, of Singapore. Also mourning Kevin's death are numerous relatives and friends. We all grieve to lose Kevin, but are so thankful that we had him even for so short a time. We are all the better for his impact on our lives. His memory will be a treasure to us always, and because he lives in our hearts, he will not die. So – as the poet John Donne said, "Death be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so . . . one short sleep past, we wake eternally, and Death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die." A funeral mass will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church at 8005 Dorset Drive, OKC, on Thursday, June 12, at 10 a.m. Those who wish to make donations in Kevin's memory may do so to the Classics Department at the University of Oklahoma in Norman making checks payable to the OU Foundation.