Samuel Philip Gerace, Sr., ’85, passed away on January
25, 2021 at the age of eighty-four, survived by his wife
Ann, four children and seven grandchildren. Sam graduated
from Allegheny College and Albany Law School at
Union University and practiced in Pittsburgh, where he
served the community through St. Peter’s Child Development
Center and the Allegheny County Bar Association.
Patrick Emmett Geraghty, Sr., ’95, passed on April 8,
2021 at age eighty-one. Patrick was a Florida All-State
track and football athlete in high school and played football
at Marquette University on its last ever football team,
which has been “undefeated” since the program was ended.
Patrick earned his law degree from the University of
Florida College of Law in 1968, where he was a member
of the Florida Law Review. Patrick’s favorite pastime was
holding court and entertaining legions with his legendary
stories and encyclopedic knowledge of national, Florida
and Ft. Myers history. Patrick did plaintiff’s litigation,
civil litigation, and criminal and insurance defense, handling
many high-profile criminal cases in his early career.
Patrick dedicated his free time to his Gators and Jimmy
Buffet music. He served as a Commissioner of the Florida
Marine Fisheries Commission, Chairman and Chairman
pro tem of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission and
Chairman of the Coastal Advisory Commission. Patrick
was predeceased by a son and his wife Dena, and survived
by his three daughters and six grandchildren.
Oliver F. Green, Jr., ’75, was ninety-five when he passed
on February 25, 2020. Ollie attended Harvard University,
where his college years were interrupted by his two-year
service as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during WWII.
After returning from duty, he completed his undergraduate
degree at Harvard, then attended University of Pennsylvania
Law School. Heading out West to California
in 1952 in his broken down Fairlane, Ollie was fortunate
enough to land a position as a temporary associate
with three lawyers who had started a firm in 1951. Ollie
became managing partner of the firm, which now has
grown to nearly 1000 lawyers with offices throughout the
world. From the time he was old enough to vote, Ollie
was committed to the Democratic Party. As a California
delegate, he attended the 1968 Democratic Convention
in Chicago. Ollie was survived by his wife of sixty-five
years, Gloria, their five children and four grandchildren.
Laurence Cyril Hammond, Jr., ’70, was ninety-three
when he died on November 21, 2020. Larry came of age
in the waning days of World War II, drafted right out of
high school and trained in the artillery. About to ship out
with what was to have been the U.S. invasion force, he
suddenly found his duty changed from combat to occupation
and reconstruction in a Japan decimated by atomic
bombs, a horror he never forgot. Larry returned home
in 1947 and entered an accelerated pre-law program at
Lawrence College. There he met Patricia Hammel and
they wed in 1950. Larry started law school but was called
back into service during the Korean War. Once home for
good, he returned to the University of Wisconsin Law
School and began practice in Milwaukee in 1955. Larry
appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court twice and ably
represented many of Wisconsin’s most venerable companies,
from Miller Brewing to American Motors. When
asked by the CEO of one large client to represent his
wife in their divorce, Larry agreed with a warning that
he would have to zealously represent the wife’s interests,
and the ultimate settlement he negotiated caused the
CEO to tell him, “I wanted you to represent her well,
but not THAT well.” As both a board member and lawyer,
he was an integral part of Summerfest, and he was
often confronted with unusual challenges. For example,
he successfully sued the Grateful Dead for return of their
contract deposit when they refused to step on stage in a
thunderstorm; and he bailed out a Native maiden from
the city jail each day so she could return to the grounds
to perform her bare-breasted dance. Larry was predeceased
by Pat and a daughter, and survived by four other
children and ten grandchildren.
FALL 2022 JOURNAL 70