Posted on 07/21/2004 5:23:34 AM PDT by veronica
TULSA - Blake Champlin, a Tulsa lawyer and environmental activist, died Monday at his home when a tree supporting a hammock fell and crushed him.
Champlin, 45, died instantly, said Gerald Hilsher, an attorney with Shipley & Kellogg, Champlin's former law firm.
Champlin was a member of Sierra Club and Save the Illinois River, and the director of Keep Tulsa Beautiful. He also pushed for an agreement between Oklahoma and Arkansas on phosphorus limits in northeast Oklahoma waters, Hilsher said.
Champlin was a past director of the Oklahoma Society of Environmental Professionals and a past chairman of the Environmental Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association.
He was a featured speaker at numerous environmental seminars throughout the region and represented many individuals in northeast Oklahoma who sued poultry companies for alleged water and air pollution, specifically around the Grand Lake area.
Champlin became a named-partner of Shipley, Jennings & Champlin and, in 2002, he joined the Tulsa law firm of Boone, Smith, Davis, Hurst & Dickman, where he headed their environmental law department.
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa.
Live Tree or Die!
(While simultaneously throwing rotten apples at enviro-hippies swarming over the corpse of their friend.)
BRRRRAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!! YOU FILTHY, BLUNT-TOKING ECO-NUTS HAVE TRESPASSED UPON MY DOMAIN IN OZ! Build a hammock on my backside, will you?(!) YOU WILL BE KILLED BY DECREE OF TREE! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I DON'T BREAK FOR LAWYERS!
I just met Blake last February at an environmental section meeting in Tulsa. He was a decent guy, and a good lawyer. I would bet he did more defense of companies who were being sued over an enviro issue than prosecution of a plaintiff's claim, especially in light of the firm he came from.
There really is not any irony. He probably made the bulk of his living defending companies. It is a tragedy that a guy only 45 is taken in the prime of his life.
No, insensitive would have been "Can they leave his body there to decay and mulch into the ground in order to fertilize the trees he loves so much?"
I have somewhere a book called "Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim" which is a collection of oopsies and howlers from newspapers. One headline which got me going was "Mauling by Bear Leaves Woman Grateful for Life,", and then there was the police blotter story about a teenaged babysitter who reported that a man exposed himself to her through the window of the house. "Police were able to get a partial description of the suspect," it said. [italics mine]
--Boris
Should have been with the law firm: Dewey, Dickum & Howe.
Those dang trees can be nasty. One tried to get me, a thirty foot oak fell right on my car as I innocently drove past it. Proving only that trees are bipartisan. :-)
Sorry.
Wow. The only one on the planet, and he hadda be killed by a tree!
Which reminds me of an old joke:
Two men are walking through a graveyard, when they come upon a tombstone which reads, "Here lies Joe Smith, an honest man and a lawyer."
"Lookie there," says one. "Things is got so bad they's burying 'em three to a plot these days."
Regards, Ivan
"Unfortunately once a tree has tasted human blood it must be destroyed."
I think we need to set up a fund for the poor tree!
Well....live by the tree....die by the tree.....
How about "Bite the hand that feeds you" ?
For everybody that thinks this guy's death is such a crack-up:
The following are excerpts from an email Fred Pottorf forwarded from Blake's astronomy club:
This has been a total shock. Blake Champlin was one of the Founders/Builders of the RMCC Observatory. I know if you
knew Blake you have fond thoughts. He said when one of us made a mistake working at the observatory, he said
that's okay, I made about 40 already. He influenced my life in astronomy greatly; I would never started on the observing programs if he had not inadvertently challenged me to attempt the Herschels. He was the kind of guy that always had that great NY humor and a twinkle in his eye, with the love of life. I thought he'd live forever, and I'd know him for the rest of my life. His kindness was always there directed at you. James Liley said he just was working on the book that has you do a hundred things to do before you die.... Blake was learning to scuba dive, and was about to start sky diving. He had bought an old pop up trailer for Okie/Tex and was restoring it. James said he and Blake reviewed Lance Armstrong's ride for the day, from that day's recording of the day. David Stine said, Blake was active with The Club's Board attending every meeting.
He is survived by his wife Roxann, adult kids - Tabitha and Josh. He was a very proud Grandfather and Uncle. Blake's Mom and Step Dad were there from NY. His two brothers are coming in from NY.
He who lives by the sword tree, dies by the sword tree...
To add to the irony, he was reading Shakespeare.
At least it wasn’t Joyce Kilmer.
Were there any squirrels hurt or maimed in this disaster?
"environmental activist killed by tree" ping
Like the grizzly bear savior (sp?) who was eaten in Alaska a few months ago......That which you love will kill you at some point....bear, tree, big old greasy cheeseburgers........
Suprised this headline didn't read......Tree strangler killed , Tree acted in self defense.
Stay safe !
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