Attorney Joe Alford, who had a private practice and represented several public entities, died early Thursday from cancer. He was 67 years old.
Stories of his generosity and concern for others circulate throughout the area. State District Judge Dennis Powell described him as a man who valued people more than money.
As some lawyers advertise on TV and highway billboards, Alford did not even have a sign on his small office across the street from the Orange County Courthouse. His law office is the only one in town with a front porch and rocking chairs.
He was currently the city attorney for West Orange, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD, the Mauriceville Utility District and the Orange County Appraisal District. In past years, he served as attorney for the West Orange-Cove CISD and the Deweyville ISD.
He had been the only lawyer for the appraisal district since its inception in 1981.
Mike Cedars, chief appraisal, worked with Alford and said he was the smartest person he ever met. The state legislature created county appraisal districts in 1979 but gave only $6,000 to start. Cedars said Alford worked for free until the appraisal district opened in 1981.
But Alford was more. Cedars recalls back in those days he was young. “I didn’t have much money,” Cedars said. Alford helped him adopt his daughter and even traveled to Jasper to get someone involved in the adoption to sign legal papers. “He barely charged me anything. He said it was his pleasure,” Cedars said.
That is one of dozens of stories people tell about the lawyer’s generosity. He handled all kinds of criminal cases, including capital murder trials. He also probated wills for elderly widows, wrote wills for young married couples and handled divorces.
Judge Powell said when he thinks of Alford, the word “consistent” comes to mind.
“Joe was consistently demonstrating that he valued people more than money. Joe consistently demonstrated that clients deserved a well, fully-prepared lawyer when they walked into a courtroom and Joe consistently strove to acquire knowledge, information and knowledge.”
He said Alford was always up to date on “the cutting edge of the newest laws and the newest cases. He was tireless in that.”
Alford read two or more books a week throughout his adult life. Judge Powell said “in his personal life he was tireless in the pursuit of knowledge and the meaning of life.”
Detective Captain Robert Enmon with the Orange Police Department said law enforcement officers respected him because he gave them respect. Alford was a defense attorney for people charged with crimes and questioned police in the courtroom. Enmon recalled a time when he made a mistake while testifying in a trial. Alford “could have pounded me on that,” he said. Instead, the lawyer simply asked him if he made a mistake and gave him a chance to correct it.
Alford grew up in West Orange and graduated from West Orange High. He went to Lamar University and worked as a hospital orderly to pay for his degree. After that experience, he considered going into hospital administration. But his grandfather in Hemphill was a judge and talked him into going to law school.
When he graduated from the University of Houston Bates School of Law, he moved back to Orange and took a job as a prosecutor under District Attorney Sharon Bearden.
Survivors include his wife and high school sweetheart, Charlotte. They were married 46 years. He is also survived by his mother, Joann Alford, his son, Joseph, daughter and son-in-law, Laura and Sam Watters, and one grandson, Ronan.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church in downtown Orange under the direction of Claybar Funeral Home. Visitation will be before the services beginning at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made in his memory to the Orange Camp Fire Council.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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