John H. "Jack" Somerville, a retired Baltimore attorney who had been a partner in Whiteford Taylor & Preston LLP, died of congestive heart failure Dec. 30 at Legacy Heights Senior Living in Charlotte, N.C.
The former longtime Timonium resident was 90.
"Jack was an absolutely fine human being and a fine lawyer," said Frederick Singley Koontz, a Whiteford Taylor & Preston attorney who has known Mr. Somerville for 40 years. "He was just a great guy."
The son of William M. Somerville, an attorney, and Ethel B. Somerville, John Henry Somerville was born and raised in Cumberland, where he graduated in 1942 from Allegany High School.
His began his college studies at Duke University, where he was active in ROTC. He was called to active duty in 1943 and served with the Navy in its submarine service in both the Atlantic and Pacific.
He was discharged with the rank of lieutenant and returned to Duke, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1947. In 1950, he earned a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Mr. Somerville began his legal career with the Baltimore law firm of Hinkley & Singley.
"He actually began working in my grandfather's law office, Hinkley & Singley, when he was in law school," said Mr. Koontz.
In the mid-1950s, Mr. Somerville was appointed an assistant U.S attorney for Maryland. After serving in that capacity for several years, he returned to Hinkley & Singley, which later became Clapp, Somerville, Black & Honemann, in which he was a partner.
The firm merged with Whiteford Taylor & Preston, for which Mr. Somerville was a managing partner until his retirement in 2005.
"His specialty was corporate law, estates, trusts, probate, financial planning and banking," said Mr. Koontz. "He was a lot of fun and charming, but a very serious lawyer who could be quite reserved in meetings."
He was a member of the Maryland Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Somerville had served on the boards of Greater Baltimore Medical Center and the YMCA.
He was a former member of the Baltimore Country Club and played golf and tennis. He was also a collector of fine wines and enjoyed traveling.
Since 2005, he had been living in Fort Mill, S.C.
A celebration of Mr. Somerville's life will be held at 2 p.m. April 18 at Four Seasons at the Gold Hill Road Community Clubhouse, 509 Turquoise Way, Fort Mill.
Mr. Somerville is survived by his wife of 14 years, the former Dorinda Pittman; two sons, David Somerville of San Francisco and Andy Somerville of Newport Beach, Calif.; two daughters, Carolyn Somerville Mosher of Pasadena, Calif., and Betsy Somerville of Cypress, Calif.; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. An earlier marriage to the former Roberta Hassler ended in divorce.