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The passing of Kent H. McMahan

By Gerry W. Beyer

Kent_McMahanIt is with much sadness that I report the passing of Kent H. McMahan, one of the most outstanding and kindess estate planning lawyers I have had the pleasure of knowing.

The following is from the obituary published in the Houston Chronicle on October 2, 2014:

A man of tremendous faith and integrity, a lawyer and counselor who was a trusted advisor to his clients, a mentor to countless young lawyers, and a lifelong Baylor Bear. Kent lived a successful yet humble life serving his clients and his church. Born on the 11th of July 1946, in Phoenix, Arizona. Kent received his Bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Baylor University in 1968 and earned his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1971. In his years at Baylor he was a member of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce fraternity and a member of Air Force ROTC. He began his legal career as an attorney for the U.S Air Force.

Kent began his private practice at Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP in Houston, Texas, where he was a Senior Partner and leader of the Trusts and Estates group. During his legal career, Kent served as Chair of the Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Section for the State Bar of Texas. He was a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and was credentialed by Woodward & White among the Best Lawyers in America for more than 20 years. Kent was well known for his active role on a state and national level in the development of the Uniform Trust Code. Kent was active in the leadership of the ABA Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, serving as committee chair and council member, and was an ABA member of the National Conference of Lawyers and Corporate Fiduciaries.

Kent was recognized by his peers as an outstanding attorney and counselor. The Houston Bar Association section of Probate, Trusts and Estate awarded Kent a Distinguished Service Award in 2009 and the Real Estate, Probate and Trust law section of the Texas State Bar awarded Kent the Distinguished Probate Attorneys’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

After 39 years with Fulbright, Kent retired and moved to Dallas to be closer to his family. Never one to rest, he joined The Blum Firm to continue to do what he loved, counseling his clients and sharing his knowledge with his professional colleagues.

As a man of faith, Kent served his Lord as an ordained deacon at both Tallowood Baptist Church, Houston, Texas and later at Park Cities Baptist Church. Kent loved working for the Lord in any capacity he could serve. He worked tirelessly with youth and young adults, mentored young men and worked on a variety of church committees. He loved working in the church, this was not his hobby but his driving passion for the Lord. He also invested in other worthy endeavors by serving as Trustee of several non-profit organizations.

Kent rarely missed an opportunity to spend time with his family. He cherished the hours spent with his family at his house in Dallas, taking ski trips, visiting Disney World with all of his grandchildren, going on numerous vacations with his church group, and, as an avid fan and supporter of Baylor athletics, attending Baylor football games.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to the “Kent H. McMahan Charitable Fund” at the Baptist Foundation of Texas (1601 Elm St, Ste 1700, Dallas, TX 75201). Funds will be used to honor Kent’s memory by supporting his favorite causes including Baylor University, research for Parkinson’s disease, and education.