S.A. legal community mourns retired judge
Retired State District Judge Solomon John “Sol” Casseb III, widely praised for his mediation of often thorny civil family cases, died Wednesday after a sudden illness.
Casseb was 74. Friends said he died from a sudden onset of sepsis after contracting a virus.
Bexar County Judge-elect Peter Sakai said Casseb was a good friend and “one of the best family law mediators in town.”
“I am heartbroken, and my heart and my condolences go to the family,” said Sakai, a former children's court judge and a Democrat. “He was one of the finest and most ethical mediators and helped families come to resolutions.”
“He was one of the most personable people,” he added. “I think that was the real strength of Judge Casseb. He was intelligent, had good character and was just a good guy, a humble man.”
The Republican jurist, who grew up in a prominent family of legal professionals in San Antonio, also was a drummer, performing with his brother in The Court Jesters, a band made
of of lawyers. He had performed since he was a teenager, starting with The Pipelines and The Laughing Kind, friends recalled.
Gov. Rick Perry appointed Casseb as judge of the 288th District County in 2008, filling a vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Lori Massey. He presided over the court until 2018, when he retired. However, he kept his hand in the court system,
serving as a visiting judge in Bexar and neighboring counties.
“Our community suffered a great loss yesterday,”
District Judge Monique Diaz wrote Thursday in a post on Facebook. “Judge Sol Casseb was the most genuine, gracious, and generous judge, mentor and friend to all who were lucky enough to know him. I will miss his presence, wit, and words of wisdom and encouragement that helped me make it through the last four years.”
“Judge Casseb was a faithful man, and an incredible jurist, and he made the world a kinder place just by being in it. He will be greatly missed,” District Judge Mary Lou Alvarez said in a post.
Casseb, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, previously worked for the law firms of Goldstein & Semaan from 1973 to 1977 and Casseb & Pearl from 1978 to 2008.
He is survived by his wife, Celeste, three daughters and six grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are pending.