THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL 104 | APRIL 2024 Willie Joe Albright of Sulphur died Feb. 11. He was born June 27, 1927. Mr. Albright grew up in Sulphur on a row-crop dairy farm. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and served in the Army during the Korean Conflict with the Office of Military Personnel. Mr. Albright received his J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 1957. His entire professional career was spent working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which combined with his military service, resulted in 50 proud years of U.S. government service. During retirement, he returned to his childhood home in Sulphur and became involved in the community. He served as a board member for the Murray County Rural Water District. Catherine J. Codding Coke of Altus died Feb. 19. She was born Sept. 10, 1950, in Ponca City. Ms. Coke graduated from Shidler High School as valedictorian and earned her bachelor’s degree in music from OU in 1972. She received her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1975 and served as the city attorney in Altus for many years. During her legal career and continuing into retirement, she was a member of P.E.O. Chapter GQ, the MacDowell Club of Allied Arts and president of the Oklahoma Federation of Music Clubs. Ms. Coke also served as choir director at the First Presbyterian Church of Altus for more than 30 years. Charles Lee Hamit of Nowata died Feb. 20. He was born June 5, 1944, in Hays, Kansas. Mr. Hamit served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam Conflict. He graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree and received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 1988. He practiced law in Jenks, Sapulpa and Nowata for a decade. For the past 25 years, he served as a municipal judge in South Coffeyville. He was involved with the Living Word Family Church in Nowata and the Grace Community Church in Bartlesville. Mr. Hamit served on the GRAND Mental Health board for 20 years. Memorial contributions may be made to Heifer International, the YWCA or a ministry of your choice. James Horace Holloman Jr. of Oklahoma City died Feb. 7. He was born May 27, 1946, in Wichita Falls, Texas. He graduated from OU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting with Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1966. He received his J.D. with highest honors from the OU College of Law in 1969. Mr. Holloman served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division from 1969 to 1972. He earned his final degree, an LL.M. in taxation, from the NYU School of Law in 1973, graduating second in his class. He practiced law for 50 years, the majority of which he spent at Crowe & Dunlevy, where he chaired the taxation practice. Mr. Holloman was involved in his community. He served as president of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation from 2003 to 2006, as a trustee from 1996 to 2006 and continued to serve as a member of the foundation’s investment committee. He was also an active member of the Deer Creek Board of Education from 1988 to 1998, serving as board president for three years. Throughout his life, he served on countless other committees and groups. Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Legal Clinic of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation or FaithWorks of the Inner City. Kenneth Ray Johnson of Ada died Feb. 29. He was born May 4, 1940, in Lexington. He graduated from OU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1963 and received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1965. Mr. Johnson practiced law in Ada for more than 50 years. He started his own law firm in the early 1970s in partnership with George B. Thompson; the firm was later known as Johnson & Nimmo. Additionally, he was involved in his community, serving as the attorney for the Ada School District and on the Board of Directors of the First National/ Vision Bank, Valley View Hospital, the Ada Boys’ Club, the Ada Industrial Development Corp. and the Ada Jobs Foundation. Mr. Johnson was also an adjunct professor at East Central University, where he taught business law. He was named the OBA Outstanding Lawyer of the Year in 1969. Memorial contributions may be made to the Oklahoma Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In Memoriam
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