Lester L Hewitt, passed away at the age of 78 on October 24, 2020 surrounded by his family in Houston, TX. A kind, hardworking, faithful Catholic, beloved by friends and family, Les will be missed dearly.
Les was born in Houston, TX, to James and Lena Hewitt. He attended Jones High School where he was involved in debate, drama, football, and tennis. He attended the University of Houston on a partial tennis scholarship, graduating in 1965 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. In 1968 he graduated from the University of Houston Law Center specializing in intellectual property law. Les practiced law at the Houston firm of Pravel Hewitt Kimball and Krieger, before joining Akin Gump as a member of the firmwide management committee and co-head of the intellectual property practice. Throughout his 50-year law career, he served as lead counsel in numerous complex intellectual property cases involving patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret issues. He served as treasurer and president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, director of the 4th district of the State Bar of Texas, and adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center. He remained a partner with Akin Gump until the age of 65, then continued as a solo practitioner before officially retiring at the age of 73.
Les met his wife of 55 years, Taffy, as an undergraduate at U of H. They married in 1965 and were blessed with three children Chris, Lannie (Chris), and Brady (Annie). They love and adore their eight grandchildren Sadie, Field, Cassidy, Courtney, Jack, Hannah, William and Cora. Les and Taffy were members of Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church where he served as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, was a member of That Man is You, and the Society of Saint Vincent DePaul. Les was a devout Catholic and member of the Sunrise Bible Study for decades.
Les proudly became a Knight of Magistral Grace in the Order of Malta in 2012. He lovingly served as chairman of the Mamie George Food Fair, volunteered at Martha?s Kitchen, participated in prison ministry, and was a pastoral minister at Memorial Hermann Hospital. As a member of the Order?s annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, he accompanied the Malades to the healing baths of Mary?s Holy Spring. He was also honored to serve as the assistant chairman for the pilgrimage to Our Lady of Good Help in Wisconsin. He received the President?s Award for Service from the Federal Association in 2017.
Les loved traveling with family and friends to many wonderful places. He was an avid tennis player and golfer, and an active fan of all of the activities his grandchildren were involved in. He also loved spending time at his beloved farm with loved ones hiking, mowing, taking care of trees, and admiring the beautiful Texas sunsets. He will be greatly missed.
There will be a visitation at 6 pm and a rosary at 7 pm at the Earthman Funeral Directors at 8303 Katy Freeway. The funeral mass will be held Saturday morning at 11 am at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church at 1801 Sage Road. Services will be live streamed and links will be available on the Earthman website for those not attending in person. In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions may be sent to the Houston Area Order of Malta c/o George Smith, 5953 Green Tree Rd, Houston, TX 77057, or to Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road, Houston, TX 77056.
In Memoriam