Robert E. Lavender

Robert Eugene Lavender (July 19, 1926 – March 23, 2020) was an American judge who served as Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, serving from 1965 until 2007. He served as the Court's Chief Justice from 1979 to 1981. Lavender died on March 23, 2020, at the age of 93.

Early life and education Robert E. Lavender was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and grew up first in Tulsa and then on a farm in Catoosa, outside of Tulsa, where he graduated from high school in 1944. Immediately enlisting in the United States Navy, he spent the final year of World War II, on reserve duty in the South Pacific. In 1953, he earned a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tulsa College of Law. representing the 1st District. The vacancy was caused by the impeachment of Justice Napoleon B. Johnson. The next year, he was elected to hold that same seat for a full six-year term, ending in 1972,

He retired from the Oklahoma Supreme Court, effective August 1, 2007. A retirement ceremony was held in his office on July 23, 2007, where his family, friends, and present and former Supreme Court colleagues honored him for his 42 years of service on the court, longer than any other justice in the history of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Governor Henry subsequently appointed John F. Reif to succeed Justice Lavender.

Personal life Lavender married Maxine Knight on December 22, 1945. The couple had met while both were attending Catoosa High School. Lavender's wife worked as a child development specialist and as a consultant for blind and visually-impaired students in nearby school districts. They were married until her death on March 5, 2010.