Kelly Pace Memorial

This page is in memory of one of the most beloved TCDLA members in recent memory.

Therese Pace Eulogy

 


First of all, thank you so very much for this honor. It is humbling to know that others see Kelly’s true self. He would be very proud but he would not let on. When Kelly brought me to my first TCDLA seminar I thought, “Wow, what an eclectic group of people coming together with a common thread.” I would learn over time of his commitment to TCDLA. And after 17 years, I have come to think of you all as friends and a special extended family as well.

He often expressed his concern regarding the lack of younger lawyers involvement and participation in the seminars. He spoke of this many times. He was always impressed when someone stepped up. Overcoming serious challenges in his life led him to a commitment to service and sharing a greater purpose in life. To quote union activist Joe Hill’s last will, written in the form of a song in 1915, “My kin don’t need to fuss and moan/Moss does not cling to a rolling stone“

So, again, thank you. Thank you Melissa Schank. Special thanks to the hardworking Austin staff, the board, members and all the attorneys. Your hard work does not go unnoticed.

Kelly always had excellent instincts. He was an exceptional judge of character. Melissa, he saw the best in you from the very beginning. I will be forever grateful to you for initiating his 69th birthday dance floor party last year at Rusty Duncan. It takes a particular presence to get that many people out on the dance floor. And dance we did. What a fun night! Thank you.

If you believe that R. Kelly Pace was a good colleague, lawyer, boss and friend, rest assured his family was paramount to him. Wonderful caregiver, role model, provider, father and PopPop. He raised 3 boys with adoration, took in a step-daughter as if she were his own blood, He was the package husband. He taught me the meaning of true love. We all have learned so much from him. He always put everyone else first, well, except for his mandatory Sunday mornings at Pine Dunes Golf Course.

When we spoke to his oncologist after he was first diagnosed he was given options. He told the doctor that he loved life. He had traveled to 54 countries, raised a family, married the love of his life, worked his profession passionately but he would accept the hand dealt him. But he said that he still had some fight in him. He accepted the fact that most of our circumstances are beyond our control. He believed in a Higher Power. And that is why he did not believe in capital punishment. Some things are just not up to us. He accepted the Universal Laws.

Oh that smile, that heart, that beautiful min . . . Grief never ends . . . but it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, not a lack of faith . . . It is the price of love.

So please keep this momentum going through your donations and mentoring. Please remember the very reasons you decided to practice law. Thank you for taking someone under your wing, answering that phone call or showing up in court to support a younger lawyer. As you all very well know, leadership is best conveyed through example. It makes for smarter and more confident upcoming lawyers, it makes you better and it makes the practice of law better.

Kelly Pace was a man’s man. A Renaissance Man. He lived his life with intention. He left his mark.

Kelly Pace Remembered

These articles appeared in the December 2018 Voice for the Defense:

David Moore
Buck Files
Brian Rollings & Jeff Wood

A note from a son

Kelly was not just a great counsel to his clients but a great counselor. He cared and put forth effort into them gaining insight and growing because of their situation. I am so proud of his accomplishments as an attorney.
Thank you
William Pace M.A., L.P.C.
East Texas Psychological Services