Herman Little

Last weekend we lost a very fine man, and an excellent lawyer. I hope you will join me at some point to celebrate the memory of Herman Little, and say a prayer for his family.

Mr. Little was the type of man whom you rarely encounter any more-a true gentleman. Certainly he was an accomplished, excellent lawyer, practicing in the field of municipal corporations and municipal utility districts law. Beyond that, he was a stalwart family man, married to Molly Little for 46 years, with whom he raised two sometimes challenging but overall devoted and responsible daughters. He eventually was fortunate to have two sons-in-law and several grandchildren. He served as a Marine officer in Vietnam, and also served as an Assistant Attorney General in Texas. He also was a deeply committed Christian, and actively served our Kingwood church in many capacities. You can read his obituary here.

Mr. Little was a tremendous friend to me and my family over many years. He frequently and tirelessly helped my mother in all of her various church endeavors, such as running the Vacation Bible School, teaching Sunday School, leading the Mother's Day Out program, and coordinating the various "greeters" on Sundays. Mom frequently remarked how much she loved him and especially his sense of humor. Mr. Little gave an initial impression of a quiet, reserved, and almost severe personality, hardly consistent with a sense of humor of any kind. But with my mother and many others, he was witty, engaging, encouraging, supportive and compassionate. Mom had the utmost respect and love for him, which stood out from the love she had for so many others.

For my part, I got to know him through church and through his oldest daughter. He seemed to take interest in me for many reasons, including my mom, the fact that we were both lawyers, we both went to the University of Texas Law School, and had both worked for the Attorney General. Mr. Little was always encouraging of me and my career, which has often been quite challenging. He always took great interest in my situation and frequently offered his thoughts. Only late last year, he sought me out at an Austin seminar and asked many questions about my practice and my life. When Mom passed away, he and Molly were quite generous in their support and compassion.

I always wanted to be more like Mr. Little. A lot more. He was grounded like a rock, in his family, his faith, his devotion to friends, and to his legal practice. Though his girls could test his patience, he remained steadfast and confident in their ultimately finding their way. He was an outstanding lawyer. He could seem reserved and unemotional, yet those who knew him best expressed unlimited love and devotion for him, which is not what happens when one truly keeps oneself hidden from others. He was clever, intelligent, and true. Never the life of the party, but always the man you could count on. I'd must rather be the latter than the former.

The last time I saw him, he seemed much younger than 67. He appeared fit, energetic, and enthusiastic. He and Molly had recently built a home in Boerne, and he was transitioning into that new phase of his life. So his passing surprised me, as I think it did others.

So, another of the truly great gentlemen has gone home. We see fewer and fewer of them.  I and many others were blessed to know him.