NICHOLLS CLASS OF 1961
Francis T. Nicholls High School
New Orleans, Louisiana
BIOGRAPHY
Alvin Arthur Ohm


Alvin Arthur Ohm (Al), 78, passed away on Tuesday, April 5, at his home in Wimberley, Texas surrounded by family.

 

Al was born on January 27, 1944 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He spent three years in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program prior to graduating from Nicholls High School in 1961 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University in May 1965 with a major in history and minor in philosophy. In 1965, he entered Southern Methodist University (SMU) Law School in Dallas, Texas, served as an SMU Barrister member, and received a Juris Doctor degree in May 1968. Al passed the July 1968 bar exam and was sworn in as an attorney in September 1968. In August 1968, Al was also designated a Private First Class in the Army, and January through May 1969 was spent in basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana and medic training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

 

In May 1969, he returned to Dallas to resume practicing law. On July 17, 1971, Al married the former Jean Elizabeth Gavin of Wichita Falls, Texas. His daughter, Megan, and son, Jonathan, were born in 1979 and 1980, respectively. Prior to starting a family, he continued in private practice until leaving for Europe with Jean in May 1974, where they spent nearly seven months traveling through every country in Western Europe plus Greece, Yugoslavia and East Germany after a stopover in Iceland. They then crossed the Channel by ferry in November and spent the remaining month touring England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In December 1974, they left Dublin for the United States and did not return to Europe until 2004.

 

In March 1975, Al began a career in Dallas with the U.S. Government as an attorney with the Federal Energy Administration, later to become the Department of Energy (DOE). He remained with the DOE for ten years, and in March 1985, he began as a trial attorney with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Dallas, representing the IRS in U.S. Tax Court. He remained in that position for 22 years and in 1992, he was appointed a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in Dallas. In that position, he represented the IRS in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and in October 2007, he retired after nearly 33 years of federal service. On November 7, 2007, Al and Jean locked the doors for the last time to the Dallas house they lived in for 31 years, and drove to Wimberley, Texas, to spend their retirement years in the Texas Hill Country. Much of Al’s spare time was spent on genealogy, reading and trying to tame the land.

 

In addition to travel and exploration, Al had a true love of nature, wildlife and being outdoors. He enjoyed traveling with his family to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, going on camp outs, hunting with his son Jonathan and dogs Charley and Angus, and providing exceptional care to his beloved pets, Sally, Grey Cat, Murphy, Jennifer, Charley, Angus, Peter Bush, Madison, Thomas and Shiner.

 

Al leaves his wife of over 50 years, Jean Ohm, and is also survived by daughter Megan DeLeon, husband Jeremy, grandchildren Noah and Grace; son Jonathan Ohm, wife Sarah, grandchildren Chase, Aiden, Liam, Cassie and one more grandchild soon to be born in 2022; his brother Herbert Ivins, and his longtime friend of 57 years, Henry Grenley. He is preceded in death by his mother, Gloria R. Ivins, his father, Alvin A. Ohm, his stepfather Herbert T. Ivins and his sister, Sharon Vollentine.

 

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 10:00am at Thomason Funeral Home in Wimberley. The family would like to extend their sincerest thanks to all the healthcare professionals, caregivers and therapists that supported Al throughout the last few months of his life. In particular, the staff and caregivers at Caring Senior Services and Blue Bonnet Palliative Care. The love and care displayed by everyone will never be forgotten.

 









Al began his college career at Loyola (New Orleans) in the fall of 1961 at the age of 17. After successfully completing the first semester, he gave in to wanderlust and transferred to the University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette for the spring semester. (He was also getting tired of riding the Desire bus and the St. Charles streetcar for two hours each day.) That spring, he applied to Tulane University. With the help of several National Defense Student Loans and a job as a student waiter at Newcomb, he spent the next three years there. In May 1965, Al received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane with a major in history and a minor in philosophy.

Summers during the years 1962 through 1966 were spent in the oil fields below Lafitte, Louisiana. The money was good but the work was hot and dirty. Al learned such skills as cutting paraffin from gas wells, threading 4” steel pipe for high pressure gas lines, diving under 8’ of swamp water to wrap a chain around a leaking gas line and how to properly swing a “yo-yo.” Fortunately, he never had to use those skills again.

In 1965, Al applied for and was accepted to Southern Methodist University Law School in Dallas, Texas. In May 1968, he received his Juris Doctor degree from SMU. He passed the July 1968 bar exam in Austin, Texas, and was sworn in as an attorney licensed to practice law before all courts in Texas on September 16, 1968.

Al began practicing law in Dallas at the law office where he had worked as a law clerk during law school. But, there was another hurdle to overcome before he could settle down: the draft.

At age 24, Al had long passed the stage where he wanted to go to war with someone. Fortunately, the 94th General Hospital, U.S. Army Reserve, in Mesquite, Texas had a number of openings. Al was sworn in as a PFC (he got credit for basic ROTC in college) in August 1968, the same day his 1-A draft classification came in the mail. January through May 1969 was spent in basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and medic training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Al returned to Dallas in May 1969 and resumed practicing law. He met his wife, Jean Gavin, the next year. They have been married since July 17, 1971. Their daughter, Megan, and son, Jonathan, were born in 1979 and 1980, respectively.

Fun fact: Al continued in private practice until April 30, 1974. Earlier that month, he announced to the law firm where he worked, that he was resigning his position to travel in Europe. (The firm was surprised. People had left before to open their own office or to move to another city. No one had ever left to just travel.) Al and Jean left New York City for Europe on May 22, 1974. After a stopover in Iceland, they began their tour of every country in Western Europe plus Greece, Yugoslavia, and Eastern Germany. While they were traveling on their three-month Eurail passes, they purchased a new, red, Fiat 124 Station Wagon in Rome, drove it to Germany for storage, and continued traveling by 1st class rail until the Eurail passes expired in October. They then drove through rural Europe until early November when they crossed the Channel by ferry. They spent their remaining month touring England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. When they delivered the Fiat to a shipping company in Southampton, it had 9,450 miles on the odometer. On December 12, 1974, they left Dublin for New York City. Al and Jean would not return to Europe until 2004.

On March 3, 1975, Al began a career in Dallas with the U.S. Government as an attorney with the Federal Energy Administration, later to become the Department of Energy. He remained with DOE for ten years. On March 3, 1985, he began as a trial attorney with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Dallas, representing the IRS in U.S. Tax Court. He remained in that position for 22 years. In 1992, he was also appointed a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in Dallas. In that position, he represented the IRS in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

On May 31, 2007, Jean retired from teaching after 20 years with Dallas public schools. She had previously taught five years in parochial schools, worked as an office manager for a dentist and, when their children were young, as a stay-at-home mother.

On October 25, 2007, Al and Jean sold the home they had lived in for 31 years. On October 31, Al retired after 33 years 3 months federal service. On November 7, the movers loaded their 26’ U-Haul van. Al and Jean locked the doors at the house for the last time and drove to Wimberley, Texas, southwest of Austin in the Texas Hill Country.

Three years ago they purchased five acres near Wimberley. They are currently building a home there which will be finished early in 2009. After the home is completed, they will live there with a yellow lab, Angus, and two cats, Madison and Thomas. Next year, they begin work on their Master Naturalist certification. When all of the dust settles, they intend to do a lot of traveling.

Al can be contacted at: alohm @ txwinet.com
or P.O. Box 36, Wimberley, TX 78676
Al and Jean with their yellow lab, Angus