Playing with the Great Ones by Michael J. Holleran, Esq.
One of the joys of practicing law for a long time is the number of fine people that you meet. I remember walking into a meeting of the Fairfax Bar Association’s Law Related Education Committee as a relatively young lawyer in the late 1980’s. The senior partner at my law firm had strongly recommended that new attorneys get involved in the Fairfax Bar Association. What great advice. By virtue of following that recommendation I made many good friends. One of those was the late Ed Walinsky.
In those days Ed had his own practice in Falls Church. He handled domestic and criminal matters as well as civil litigation. Ed and I became friends as we realized we had lots in common, including William & Mary, a love of sports, strong faith in God, and a preference for early lunches. However, Ed was a fervent Redskins fan and I was a rabid Cowboys supporter. Thus, we had a twice yearly lunch bet on the games and we would always try and arrange lunch for the day after those contests.
Ed and I had lunch together approximately two to three times a month for over twenty years. Many of those were at Anthony’s in Falls Church before the lunch crowd arrived. Those lunches were spent commiserating over cases, discussing the latest sports news, and talking about the events of our growing families. Ed and his wife Fran lived in Annandale with their three children. Ed’s love of Fran and pride in his children was evident.
Fairfax Bar Association activities with Ed were always enjoyable. We went to local elementary schools to put on the play of the case of Curly Pig v. B.B. Wolf. I took one of my sons with me one year when he was a preschooler (How time flies! He is now in college.). When Ed put on the wolf mask my son crawled under my chair in fright. We also worked on various Law Day activities. Getting students educated about the legal process was important to Ed and he took on bar activities with gusto. He served on many Fairfax Bar Association committees as well as its Board of Directors. Service beyond self was a way of life for Ed.
In the 1990s I worked with Ed on an annual live call in television program on Channel 56 in Falls Church. The show featured a judge, two attorneys versed in the particular subject at issue, plus a host. Volunteers worked the phone banks and would write out the callers’ questions on a card and hand them to the host to read. We did the program together for five or six years.
One year I was serving as host with Ed being one of the panelists. The topic was domestic relations — Ed’s specialty — and a subject that generated many calls. I decided to have a little fun with Ed and, after reading a particularly vitriolic message from a scorned spouse, changed the name of the caller “to a Fran in Annandale.” I then said “Ed, what do you think Fran should do?” Without missing a beat, Ed looked into the camera and with a twinkle in his eye said, “Well Fran, here is what you should do…,” and proceeded to answer the question flawlessly.
As our lunches continued into the 2000s, I witnessed Ed’s pride as his three children accomplished many things, including all gaining admission into the College of William and Mary. Ed moved to practice with Bob Shoun, Beverly Bach, and Dennis Smith in Fairfax where he specialized in domestic relations work. Ed became recognized as an outstanding lawyer and continued to serve the Fairfax Bar Association and the community in a variety of public service ventures.
As my firm does not handle domestic relations work, Ed became a referral source. He was known not only as an exceptionally bright attorney but one who was also devoid of ego and who never forgot he was dealing with families in crisis. I got to work with Ed on a few matters and his strong legal skills were evident. Like one of his favorite Redskins player, Art Monk, Ed was not flashy, but like Monk became a star in his field. Each year after the Hall of Fame results, Ed would complain when Art Monk was bypassed and he could recite all the statistics and reasons why Monk should be enshrined. When Monk finally received the long overdue election, Ed was pleased.
About four years ago Ed told me at lunch that he had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer (Ed was never a smoker.). Ed remarked that he “had been dealt high cards” his whole life and that he would not complain but simply fight and go on. And for most of the next four years that is exactly what Ed did as he beat the statistical odds against him. He did not dwell on his illness. Instead, he continued to excel as a practicing attorney, traveled with Fran and his children, continued his volunteer activities with the bar association and his church, and lived to the fullest. Our lunches remained the fun occasions where we discussed our families, the latest happenings at the Courthouse, and of course sports. We wondered if either of our teams would ever make it back to the Super Bowl as the glory days of both franchises seemed distant. Ed’s faith and strength were inspirational to many and he continued to live to the fullest until his death and entrance to another Hall of Fame on February 28, 2010.
© 2010 Michael J. Holleran, Esq.
Michael J. Holleran, Esq. is President and Managing Partner of Walton & Adams, P.C. in Reston, VA and specializes in business litigation and commercial transactions.
