PASKAY, Judge Alexander L., of
Tampa, passed away on April 27th, 2012, at his home, surrounded by his loved
ones. He was 89. Judge Paskay was born near the famous Danube river on November
5th, 1922, in Mohacs, Hungary.
In essence, the Judge was born
into the legal world and it would be his number one passion for the rest of his
life. His father was a prominent attorney, as well as Vice Mayor and City
Attorney. Thus, Alexander and his three sisters, grew up in a state-provided
castle, built in 1500 AD where he had a happy, privileged life. At home, his
favorite pastime was bedeviling a long string of governesses, with his solo
soccer games echoing within the massive corridors of the palace. After a Jesuit
high school education, at his father's urging, he headed straight off to the
University of Budapest Law School. As always, Alexander did well in his
studies, but an exotic new interest entered his life in the form of music,
theater and cinema. He swiftly became the youngest arts critic for the top
Budapest weekly newspaper. Alexander was truly enjoying this new facet of his
life, away from the dry and sterile legal bubble in which he usually lived. In
fact, his father worried that his son was having too much fun, hob-nobbling
with his new show business pals - especially the attractive starlets often seen
on his arm. In short order, Papa Paskay ordered his son home, immediately after
graduation. Once back in the family fold, Alexander worked in his father's firm
by day, and studied for the Hungarian Bar at night. He easily passed his exams,
but his promising legal career was abruptly derailed by World War II. He was
able to keep himself out of the fray for many lucky months. But in 1944,
Alexander was captured by the German Army and forced to dig trenches for the
enemy on the Western Front. Along with two friends, one night he engineered an
escape from their German guards and made his way through France and finally
into the safe hands of British Intelligence. As the war was now ending, and
because he spoke 5 languages, he became Staff Chief Interpreter for the British
Army and Interpreter of the British War Crimes Commission. Until 1949 he also
worked for the French Army helping to relocate displaced persons in the French
Zone of Occupation. Now a war refugee himself, Paskay made sure his family in
Hungary was safe and then emigrated in 1949 to the US with only 5 dollars in
his pocket and the dream of starting a new life in America. Alexander
ultimately settled in Miami where, the day after his arrival, he met 20
year-old, Rose Mazzaglia. Within two weeks of meeting Rose he felt he had found
the woman of his dreams, and promptly proposed. Though she never actually said
yes or no - the couple did marry one year later. Thus embarking on their 62
years of love and life together. In 1952, Alexander became a US citizen and,
while holding down two jobs, he attended night school at the University of
Miami School of Law, where he graduated third in his class in 1958. During
these years he and Rose had two sons, Rick and Steve. After passing the Florida
Bar, Alexander was lucky once again to find employment as senior Law Clerk for
Federal Judge Joseph P. Lieb. Once Alexander began working within the judicial
system he became very interested in the US legal concept of bankruptcy. It was
a perfect fit for his deeply held philosophy that every person deserved at
least one second chance in life. In 1963, when the Court found the need for a
full-time Bankruptcy Judge in the Middle District, the newly-appointed Judge
Paskay and his family moved to Tampa. There the eager young jurist would begin
a historic 48 year career that ended in December of 2011. Judge Paskay was a
member of the American Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, Hillsborough County
Bar Association, Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association and the Southwest Florida
Bankruptcy Professional Association. He was admitted to practice before the US
Supreme Court, 5th and 11th Circuits Courts of Appeal and all federal courts.
He served in the past as Chairman of the Bankruptcy Committee of the Florida
Bar and served on the Board of Governors of the National Conference of
Bankruptcy Judges. Judge Paskay also served as Vice President and was on the
Board of Directors of the American Bankruptcy Institute and a faculty member
sponsored by the ABI. Judge Paskay was a fellow of the American College of
Bankruptcy, inducted into its original class at the Supreme Court in Washington
DC. Judge Paskay is the author of thousands of legal opinions, publications and
books including: "Creditor's Rights", "Handbook for Trustees and
Receivers", co-author of the "14th Edition of Collier on
Bankruptcy", and he was a principal contributing editor of "Norton
Bankruptcy Law and Practice". In 1979 the Judge was appointed by US
Supreme Court Chief Justice Burger to the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy
Rules and Practice and served on that committee until 1984. Thereafter he was
appointed to serve on the Task Force of the Administrative Office of US Courts
charged with the revision of the official Bankruptcy Forms. After the fall of
communism in Eastern Europe and Asia, Judge Paskay was appointed by the US
Government to lecture on bankruptcy law in the newly emerging liberated
countries of Russia, Slovakia and Albania. He was instrumental in guiding those
emerging democracies in the concepts and protections needed in their bankruptcy
laws being written at that time. Judge Paskay was an Adjunct Professor of Law
at Stetson University College of Law since 1973. Since 1976 he was the Chairman
of the annual Alexander L. Paskay Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Practice
sponsored by the Stetson University College of Law and the American Bankruptcy
Institute. Since 2005, Stetson University has awarded the Alexander L. Paskay
Endowment Scholarship to many of its most notable graduates. He was inducted
into that school's Hall of Fame in 2007. The Judge leaves behind a loving and
grieving family: his wife Rose; his sons Richard and Steven; his
daughter-in-law Licia; and his sisters Martha, Lucia, Csoppi and their
families. He also leaves behind hundreds of friends and admirers around the
world. As well as a loving and devoted staff headed, by Ms. Mary Morrison, plus
a legal legacy unmatched in the US Bankruptcy Courts. Judge Paskay was known
for his sense of humor, both on and off the bench. He was also an avid tennis
player until the age of 87, (yes, in this heat!). He was also a world traveler,
a huge international soccer fan, and a well-known griller of killer steaks for
his family on many a Saturday night. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may
be made to: the Alexander L. Paskay Endowed Scholarship at Stetson University
in Gulfport, the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation in Tampa or Lifepath Hospice
of Tampa. The family would like to thank the staff of the Tampa General
Hospital Rehabilitation Center and the Lifepath Hospice-Burgundy Team for their
loving care and support of the Judge in his final days at home. The Honorable
Alexander L. Paskay has banged his gavel for the last time, but not before
touching and inspiring the lives of thousands of people during his 89 years on
Earth.
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