Michael Louis McLeaish

Michael was born June 5, 1945 in Nevada, Missouri to Louis McLeaish and Beulah Wolfe McLeaish. When his father left the service and Michael was still a baby, the family relocated to Goldsmith, Texas. His father was a pumper for Gulf and later Chevron until his retirement, and Beulah was well known in the oil patch as the owner of The Steakhouse in Goldsmith.

Michael graduated from Odessa High School in 1963. 

He married Mary Darrow on December 31, 1962. Their daughter Rebecca was born August of 1963. They moved to Alpine, Texas where Michael graduated from Sul Ross University, making the Dean’s List. He then attended The University of Texas Law School, graduating in 1970. 

He worked for Bill Alexander for one year before opening his own practice on 4th Street, where he has always been. He celebrated 53 years of active practice in September of last year, and had no plans to retire. Ever.

He and Mary divorced in early 1978.

He met Karen, “K.T.” in the fall of 1978 in Odessa. Michael and K.T. took a small group of friends on a “wedding junket” and eloped to Juarez Mexico on April 14, 1979. A number of people, including and most specifically Karen’s mother, were unhappy they were not included.  Therefore, a second wedding was held on August 24, 1979 in the 244th District Court with Judge Joe Connally officiating. The reception afterwards was still being talked about many years later. 

Michael loved his family and he loved the law. He passed from this world in true McLeaish dramatic fashion on the Ides of March, 2024.

 He is survived by his wife of nearly 45 years; Son Sean McLeaish and wife Ashley of North Carolina; Daughter Rebecca McLeaish Oimoen and husband Mark of Wisconsin; Grandchildren Ken Oimoen and Mariel Oimoen of Wisconsin; Ozzie and Cormac McLeaish of North Carolina.