I have one fewer
reader today. I found out via text message. It was short and to the point:
"Jack Langdon passed away I'm told. I don't have any details." It
took me several hours Friday to confirm. There is no obituary as yet, but there
will be a link here when one is published.
There are a great
many workers' compensation lawyers in Florida today who will not remember
Jack. He stopped practicing in the early 1990s. I met him by accident, and we
became friends. I recall when he first called me, back in 1993 I believe. He
had received a document in the mail from one of the workers' compensation
district offices. The envelope was addressed to him, but the document inside
was intended for me. The similarity in our names had led to a simple error. We
chatted briefly and he promised to send the document on to me in
Jacksonville.
I cannot recall
if it was in that call or shortly after, but Jack told me he was relatively new
to St. Augustine, having sold his interest in a practice in Gainesville to his
former partner James (Mac) McCarty. He explained to me that he was going to
mediate cases rather than practice law. Mediation was a relatively new idea in
workers' compensation back then. I am proud to say that the first workers'
compensation case Jack ever mediated was one I was defending. I hired him for a
great many cases over the ensuing years. He kept reminding me about that first
case, Jack had a great memory for people.
I once tried to
schedule a mediation with Jack and he was unavailable. He told me he was headed
to Peru, Indiana for a family visit. He explained that was something he did
annually, for his mother. That got us discussing Indiana, where I too graduated
high school. And, through that, we came to realize that we had both attended
Ball State University. For two lawyers ending up in the community of workers'
compensation in northeast Florida, that was quite a coincidence. And, as we
continued discussing, we realized we were also fraternity brothers, had lived
in the same house years apart, and had a great many coincidental friends and
acquaintances.
Jack could talk
to anyone. That is why he was a successful mediator. He took an interest in
people and discussed what was important to them. I recall a mediation in which
he told me that it would take "a riding mower, a trailer with a ramp, and
a Dodge 1500 pickup" to settle. See, Jack listened for and then talked
with the worker about, what the worker wanted. He tried to make the process
personal and conversational with them. As I recall, that case settled just
about where Jack said it would. He always encouraged me to think less about
calculating benefits or my client's exposure and to think more about what the
injured worker wanted.
Jack loved to
travel for mediations. He was flattered when someone hired him to mediate a
case in some faraway venue like Pensacola, Tampa, or South Florida. He was
proud that his particular perspectives, experience, or skills were perceived as
worth the cost of travel. One of his great joys was traveling to Jacksonville
for mediation, a short trip from his St. Augustine condominium. Despite being
able to return home, he would often spend the night in a Jacksonville hotel in
the "Elvis Presley Suite," so named when that entertainer performed
in Jacksonville in the 1950s. That hotel also coincidentally housed his
favorite steak restaurant. Jack persistently reminded me that one must pause
and smell the roses periodically, and that could be done far from home or
not.
Jack was avid
about workers' compensation, and those involved in it. But, he was particularly
fond of District "B," which is now known as "Gainesville."
He graduated from the University of Florida Law School and practiced there
until selling his practice. District "B" was one of the few Districts
in Florida that experienced long-term stability in its administration back
then. Judge Elwyn Akins presided there from 1961 to 1991. To this day, only two
Florida JCCs have a longer tenure (Judges Kuker and Lewis). Back in the day,
the District "B" office was in the town of Trenton, Florida (about 30
miles west of Gainesville). That, according to Jack, was because Trenton was
where Judge Akins lived, and had grown up. Jack was a font of trivia, about
Florida, about workers' compensation, and about those fellow travelers he met
along the way.
Jack loved to
tell stories about the practice back then. He told me of his decision to
install a desk in a van. He hired a driver to take him around the diverse
geography of District "B" and beyond, while he sat at that desk and
practiced law with a tape recorder (there were no cell phones then). He also
enjoyed relating how Judge Akins "rode the circuit," and there were
specific days practitioners knew Judge Akins would be in some particular county
courthouse. The details escape me presently, but I recall Jack's description
and his obvious affinity for "the good old days." He really liked to
tell stories about Judge Akins and the cases he had won and lost before
him.
Jack spent over
20 years practicing in Gainesville and the surrounding area. He built a defense
firm there, which he once bragged was "the biggest defense firm in
Gainesville." He delivered that line with a laugh and a twinkle. Years
later, when I opened my firm in Ponte Vedra, it was Jack who told me I had the
"biggest defense firm in Ponte Vedra" (4 lawyers), and then he
laughed. Jack always had a laugh, a story, and usually a compliment. He loved
people and more so loved talking about his favorite people. Many of those were
in workers' compensation.
Workers'
compensation was a passion. Jack served as Chair of the Workers' Compensation
Section of The Florida Bar. He served on the first iteration of the Statewide
Judicial Nominating Commission for Judges of Compensation Claims. He was one of
the early advocates who believed mediation would thrive in this practice. I
mentioned to a friend that I was striving to write this commemorative post, and
he wrote back "Hope your post will be larger than life like Jack."
That is as apt a description as one could hope for regarding Jack. He was
certainly one of a kind.
Jack was a
mentor. Coincidentally, on the day he died, I was at a Florida Workers'
Advocates meeting in Orlando. There, I encouraged attendees to strive to be
mentors, to support young lawyers in their development in the law, workers'
compensation, and professionalism. Afterward, an attendee told me he was
increasingly serving as a mediator, and I encouraged him to mentor in
mediation. He was somewhat skeptical, and I therefore recounted a story about
Jack Langdon teaching and mentoring through mediation. Over the years, I have
often returned to his example when encouraging others. Jack would persistently
counsel, teach, and critique. I learned much about negotiation, communication,
and litigation from Jack. And, he frequently made me laugh. I never missed an
opportunity to take his call.
The Workers'
Compensation Institute Hall of Fame was founded in 2012. The initial inductees
soon began a process of recognizing those who had come before them. The
"Legends" branch of the Hall was established for those who had
retired from the workers' compensation practice or profession, but who formed
the foundation of Florida workers' compensation. I was proud when Jack was
later inducted as a Legend. He was immensely proud to count as his
contemporaries and peers such Florida icons as Richard Sicking, Albert
Frierson, Steve Rissman, Jim McConnaughhay, Dan Hightower, and George Kagan. He
was proud to be among them, but also proud of them.
Later still,
another Legend inductee was Judge Akins. By then, of course, Judge Akins had
moved from the area and passed away (2009). There was no one to present with a
plaque commemorating his Hall induction. Jack and Dan Hightower took it upon
themselves to have the plaque hung in the Gainesville District Office, to
commemorate the 30 years that Legend invested in this community of workers'
compensation. It was critical to Jack that Judge Akins' service and story be
remembered. There was a well-attended ceremony when that plaque was hung. As is
too often true, I was too busy to make that trip. In retrospect, I regret
missing the opportunity to stop and smell the roses.
Photo courtesy of
Dan Hightower; Jack Langdon, far right.
Jack was
sometimes colorful. He told me he once engaged in racing. No, not your
prototypical kids with fast cars, but a serious late-model team with two cars.
They raced on the USA Racing Circuit in Florida. It is not hard to see how he
was drawn to it, with Florida's connections to auto racing. (note, this
paragraph originally made references to NHRA drag racing, which was an
error).
He also told me
one day of his family's efforts to support a group called the Rodeheaver Ranch
For Boys in Palatka, Florida. Jack and his mother contributed to constructing
the Langdon-Newby Activity Center at the ranch. Jack was very proud of his
philanthropy, but privately. I had various conversations with him over the
years about the ranch and other beneficiaries of his attention. But, I never
heard him mention his contributions and efforts publicly. I vividly recall an
instance when he and other workers' compensation Hall of Fame members quietly
contributed to provide a modified van for a Gainesville attorney in need. It
was typical Jack; someone was in need and he took it upon himself to quietly
find a solution.
As I have striven
here to memorialize a friend, one that I knew for almost my entire career, I
have reflected on some of those many conversations and mediations. Jack was
gregarious, proud, engaging, gracious, professional, funny, and helpful. I
count him among my mentors, and I lament his passing. As I think back on the
many conversations that we had, I realize that he was persistently mentoring;
passing on his wisdom, experience, and perspective. Florida workers'
compensation lost a Legend Thursday.
Jack was one of
my fans. He read this blog persistently and would often call me or email a
thought. Most of the time it would be long before the sun rose. If I happened
to be late posting, he sometimes would accuse me of oversleeping, at 5:00 a.m.
He was sometimes sarcastic or facetious regarding these posts. And, he often
saw perspectives or points that I had overlooked. He would call to discuss and
then might end the call quoting Paul Harvey, that now I knew "the rest of
the story." I told him more than once that I would like to recount some of
his stories here. Ironically, I did not get around to it in time.
Regretfully, as
noted above, there are a great many lawyers practicing workers' compensation in
Florida today who will not remember Jack. But, those of us that do lament his
passing. And, when we gather next winter for the annual Florida Hall of Fame
induction dinner, there will be memories, stories, and anecdotes. If you ever
get the chance to be a mentor, take it. If you can ever lighten someone's day
with a story or anecdote, take it. If you get the chance to be good to someone,
take it. Jack would have.
This community of
workers' compensation would be better if all of us were a little more like
Jack, a little more about the community, a little more about smelling the
roses, a little more like the simpler life of Trenton, Gainesville, or St.
Augustine. Godspeed Jack.
Ed Note: The following was received from Jeffrey Langdon, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. It is added here to correct and supplement the foregoing. Reading it was a comfort to me. The fishing story led me to laugh out loud.
Judge Langham:
(I tried to post this as a comment to your blog, but it was too long.)
This will probably be a comment you never expected. I am Jeffrey Langdon, Jack Langdon's son. I thank Mac McCarty for sending me a copy of this blog. More importantly I thank you for writing it. It was an accurate portrayal of my father and a fitting tribute.
In the true spirit of my father, I want clarify one thing. My father was a NASCAR fan, not NHRA. While my father was a straight line kind of guy on a lot of things, when it came to racing he liked going in circles. He did own 2 late model teams that raced and won on the USA racing circuit in FL. The pictures and trophies were proudly displayed in his home office for years.
It was a tremendous blessing to hear all of the things you shared about my father and his impact on the practice of WC law and the WC lawyers in the state of FL. I heard many stories of the cases and people he interacted with such as yourself. I know many of you by name, and story, alone. Dad talked fondly of you and the fact that you were both from IN, graduated from BSU and were lamb chops. In true Jack Langdon fashion, he would usually start singing Disney World's "It's a small world" whenever he shared a story about someone he met in which there was a connection like this. My father had an uncanny knack for running into people in strange places of the world in which he would have some familiar connection with whether it be where they grew up, went to school, or people they knew.
His sharing of the cases and people he worked with were always from his perspective and never gave me the full impact he had on the industry. Your blog helped me to better appreciate the mark he left on those he interacted with professionally. It also brought back many memories of days gone by and stories that were told. I remember Judge Akins from when I was a child. He always seemed very southern, bigger than life, no nonsense and funny. My father and Judge Akins were similar in many ways which is probably why they got along so well.
Ok, I am going to share a Jack Langdon, Judge Akins story for somewhat mature audiences. My father and I had the opportunity to stay at Judge Akins' place on the Suwanee River and to go fishing with him one weekend back in the '80s. We were tucked up along the trees fishing when my father decided he needed to "relieve" himself. He stands up in the boat and grabs a hold of the tree next to him to brace himself and handles his business. While going he looks down and about waist high in the trees sits a water moccasin staring at him. He finishes and sits down and asks Judge Akins. He says "Judge, if that snake had bit me would you have sucked the poison out?" Judge Akins looked at him with all seriousness and responded, "Son, I'm sorry, but ida had to let you die!" To which we all busted out laughing.
As I sit here drinking my coffee on a Sunday morning reading your blog and reflecting, I am reminded of the man my father was. He was far from perfect, but he was loving, caring, giving and funny. He had a dry, albeit sometimes corny, sense of humor that kept everyone laughing. Family and work comp law were the two things most important to my father. You could tell by the amount of time and the stories he told about each.
He imparted a tremendous amount of wisdom to me through the years. In fact, during one of our recent conversations I told him "you know, the older I get, the smarter you get!" So I say to all of the son's or mentees reading this. Just because something a wise persons shares with you doesn't seem to be true, doesn't mean that it isn't. It may just mean that it is not a truth for you yet. Through the years as I have been married, had various jobs and raised 5 children, there have been many times I have heard my father's voice ringing in my ears or am reminded of the challenges I put my father through when I was younger. And yes, there have been times I have felt like I was reaping what I sowed and there were even occasions I apologized to my father in retrospect. Dad would just laugh with the knowing laugh of a good father who knows his son would someday "get it" and that that day had come.
I miss my father especially today, Sunday. Sunday is raceday and we liked to talk NASCAR on race day. Today in particular is the Michigan 400. I am reminded that my father and I attended this race 20 years ago on Father's Day together. I am reminded of all of our fishing trips on Orange Lake outside of Gainesville, fishing for Reds on the intercoastal and going tarpon fishing out of St. Aug. I miss all of the greasy hamburgers and french fries that usually accompanied the end of these trips and the Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash that got us to them.
Thank you again Judge Langham for your blog, the information it gave me, the memories it brought back and the grieving it assisted in.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Langdon