PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Friends and family are mourning the loss of a retired state district court judge after his death due to COVID-19 complication.
Judge Leonard James Giblin Jr. died Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, at the Harbor Hospice in Beaumont. He was 80 years old.
Giblin was a Port Arthur native and a lifelong resident and member of the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Port Neches. He served in the U.S. National Guard and retired as a state district judge for the state of Texas.
Judge Larry Thorne said he had been friends with Giblin for 45 years. Thorne said Giblin was well respected and a wonderful friend.
"He was an incredible friend and a great judge," Thorne said. "He was a mentor and an incredible person. We had names for each other, but that's a whole different story."
Giblin leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Diane Giblin, three children and two grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 at the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Port Neches. Visitation for friends and family will begin at noon, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 2 p.m.
The family asks that those that wish to send contributions send them to the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southeast Texas located at 2449 Calder Avenue, or the Human Society of Southeast Texas located at 2050 Spindletop Avenue.
