James Duke Logan, 82, attorney and longtime resident of Vinita, died December 22, 2013 at Heartsworth Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. An accomplished trial lawyer for over fifty years, Duke Logan was founding partner of the Vinita law firm, Logan and Lowry, LLP. Among professionals, family and friends, he was known for his tenacious work ethic, caustic wit and skilled command of the English language. This was evident in the courtroom, at the dinner table, and in his professional and personal correspondence, which he often illustrated with caricatures of himself and others. Logan was born on February 4, 1931 in Norman, Oklahoma and attended school there until his high school graduation. In 1949, he attended the University of Oklahoma and joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduating from OU with a B.A. degree, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, while working nights as a policeman for the Norman Police Department. At OU, he met the love of his life, Dorothy Darrough. The couple married in 1953. They soon moved to Vinita where Logan established his law practice in 1955. There, Logan served on the board of directors of First National Bank &Trust of Vinita, First National Bank of Chelsea and the Vinita School Board. For many years he acted as Attorney for the City of Vinita, and as General Counsel for the Grand River Dam Authority and Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative. He was a member and former President of the Craig County Bar Association, and a founding member and director of Cattlemen's Life Insurance Company. In 1995, Logan was elected President of the Oklahoma Bar Association. Following his term of office, Governor Brad Henry appointed him as chairman and member of the Oklahoma Council on Judicial Complaints. He served in this capacity for 10 years, and as General Counsel for the state agency for six years. He was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, American Bar Foundation, and the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. He also served on the board of the Oklahoma Historical Society. A multi-talented individual, Logan took pleasure in painting, sculpting, woodcarving, and furniture making. For a time, he owned a private plane, and was known to "buzz" the homes of neighbors and friends. A proud yellow dog Democrat, Logan relished political discourse and jokes, often at the expense of his Republican family and friends. He was a diehard Sooner fan, avid quail hunter and trout fisherman who enjoyed spending many wonderful summers with his wife at their cabin in Colorado. In his later years, he enjoyed long drives on his ranch west of Vinita. He is preceded in death by wife, Dorothy Darrough Logan; parents, Dr. and Mrs. Leonard M. Logan Jr.; and brother Leonard M. Logan III. He is survived by his brother, Kuyk Logan of Houston; children, Elizabeth "Liz" Logan, Leonard M. Logan IV, and Mary Logan Wolf of Vinita, and James "Jay" Duke Logan II of Ozark, AR; grandsons John Seidenberger and James Seidenberger of Vinita; and many loving nieces and nephews. The memorial service will be held at 2:30 pm on Saturday, January 4 at the First United Methodist Church of Vinita. Services are under the direction of Luginbuel Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.honoringmemories.com. Memorials may be sent to the Craig County Salvation Army, 224 W. Sequoyah Ave., Vinita, OK, 74301.
Service Details
Saturday, January 4th, 2014 2:30pm, First United Methodist Church - Vinita