FORT WORTH -- Steve Swander always relished the opportunity for a good debate, especially when it involved constitutional issues.
And in the area of the law in which he specialized, there was plenty of debate -- guaranteed.A quick search of his name in Star-Telegram archives also turned up names of a few of his clients who made headlines over the years: Peep-N-Toms, Flashdancer, Christal's Romantic Boutique and Hooters."He saw representing sexually oriented businesses as an intellectual challenge," former law partner Dick Price said Monday.Mr. Swander was a champion of the First Amendment and often spoke at conferences on the subject, Price said.Mr. Swander, 61, died of cancer Saturday at a Fort Worth hospital, said his partner, Diane Gracia."He was a gentle and kind person," Gracia said. "Some called him a gentle giant," she said of the 6-foot-4 lawyer.Gracia said Mr. Swander had mesothelioma, a type of cancer often associated with long-term asbestos exposure, but in his case, doctors are not sure what caused the disease.Steven H. Swander was born Oct. 13, 1951, in Burbank, Calif.His parents, Don Swander and June Hershey Swander, co-wrote Deep in the Heart of Texas, which has become a staple of Texas college marching bands and a classic Texas party song.In high school, Mr. Swander was a debate champion and went on to debate at the University of Southern California, where he graduated. He came to Texas when he was recruited to head the debate department at Baylor University. He got his law degree at the Baylor law school.He began practicing law in Fort Worth in 1976 and was later admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Northern District of Texas.Price said Mr. Swander was known for his prowess in debate and a mischievous smile that he used to catch people off guard.Another friend, Steve Maxwell, the Tarrant County Democratic Party chairman, said there was no lack of interesting conversation with Mr. Swander."He could turn a lunch into a discussion about any issue," Maxwell said.And, Maxwell said, Mr. Swander was always committed to the Democratic Party.Other friends recalled Mr. Swander's dedication to First Amendment freedoms. In an e-mail, Atlanta attorney Alan Begner described how about 10 years ago he asked Mr. Swander to represent a member of the band Impotent Sea Snakes who was arrested for obscenity while performing in Dallas. The band featured cross-dressers, a boa constrictor and a fire blower.The judge threw out the case after hearing Mr. Swander's forceful but soft-spoken arguments, Begner wrote.Gracia said Mr. Swander always represented the underdog."He was never a lawyer for the money -- otherwise, he would have been wealthy," she said.When Mr. Swander wasn't practicing law, he enjoyed reading, playing chess and traveling, she said.Funeral arrangements were not complete Monday.Other survivors include daughters Jillian Swander of Fort Worth, Devyn Swander of Austin and Rowan Swander of Austin.Elizabeth Campbell,817-390-7696Twitter: @fwstlizHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
