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Created page with "{{Infobox officeholder |name=Abel John "Buddy" McNamara |image=A. J. McNamara of LA.jpg |office=Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana..."
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Abel John "Buddy" McNamara
|image=A. J. McNamara of LA.jpg
|office=Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
|term_start=June 21, 1982
|term_end=June 9, 2001
|appointed=[[Ronald Reagan]]
|preceded=Edward James Boyle, Sr.
|succeeded=Jay Zainey
|office2=Louisiana State Representative<br> for Jefferson Parish
|term_start2=1976
|term_end2=1980
|birth_name= Abel John McNamara
|birth_place=[[New Orleans]], Louisiana
|birth_date=June 9, 1936
|death_date=December 2, 2014 (aged 78)
|death_place=Metairie, Louisiana
|death_cause=Progressive supranuclear palsy
|resting_place[Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans
|residence=Metairie, Louisiana
|spouse=Alma J. Loisel McNamara
|children=Four children<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
Henry D. and Ruby Price McNamara
|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1977)
|occupation=[[Attorney]]; retired judge; former [[engineer]]
|alma_mater=Jesuit High Schoo in New Orleans<br>
[[Louisiana State University]]<br>Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|branch=[[United States Navy]]
|serviceyears=1959-1962 }}
'''Abel John McNamara''' (June 9, 1936 – December 2, 2014), was a [[Louisiana]] state representative from 1976 to 1980 and a [[judge]] of the [[New Orleans]]-based United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, who served full-time from June 21, 1982, until the fall of 2001, when he assumed senior status.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/12/retired_judge_aj_buddy_mcnamar.html#incart_river|title=Retired U.S. District Court Judge A.J. "Buddy" McNamara, 78, died Tuesday|author=Andy Grimm|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=December 3, 2014|accessdate=April 8, 2022}}</ref>
==Background==
A son of Henry D. McNamara and the former Ruby Price, McNamara, graduated in 1954 from the [[Roman Catholic]] Jesuit High School in his native New Orleans. In 1959, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. In 1968, he received his [[Juris Doctor]]ate degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.<ref name=bio/>
McNamara served in the [[United States Navy]] from 1959 to 1962. From 1966 to 1968, while in law school he was a bailiff and law clerk for U.S. District Judge Herbert W. Christenberry of the same court on which McNamara served. He maintained a private law practice from 1968 to 1982, when he became a judge.<ref name=bio/>
In 1976, he joined three other attorneys in forming the partnership Hailey, McNamara, McNamara, and Hall. The name was changed to Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale in 1982, when A. J. McNamara was appointed to the district judgeship. The firm is among the largest in Jefferson Parish and one of the largest litigation operations in metropolitan New Orleans.<ref name=bio/>
==Political life==
While practicing law, McNamara served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from populous Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans. Elected in the first-ever nonpartisan blanket primary in 1975, he was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] representative from 1976 to 1977, and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] convert from 1977 to 1980. He did not seek reelection in the 1979 primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.la.gov/legisdocs/members/h1812-2016.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2016: Jefferson Parish|publisher=legis.la.gov|accessdate=April 7, 2022}}</ref>
In 1976, as a Democrat, McNamara cast a critical vote against the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] in the House Civil Law Committee. The unfavorable committee vote effectively killed the prospects of ratifying the amendment for the second time in Louisiana.
In the 105-member Louisiana House, McNamara served with six other Republicans at the time: [[Clark Gaudin]] of Baton Rouge, three members from Caddo Parish, [[Art Sour]], [[B. F. O'Neal, Jr.]], and [[Bruce Lynn]], and two converts to [[Republican Party|GOP]], [[Michael F. "Mike" Thompson]] of [[Lafayette]], and [[Lane Carson]] of New Orleans.
In 1980, McNamara supported the [[Ronald W. Reagan]] and [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] national ticket against [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[Walter Mondale]]. President Reagan thereafter nominated McNamara for the bench on May 5, 1982, for the seat vacated by Judge Edward James Boyle, Sr., and the [[U.S. Senate]] quickly confirmed him.
McNamara was succeeded full-time on the court by Judge Jay Zainey (born 1951), a nominee of President [[George W. Bush]], who was confirmed on October 10, 2001.
==Private life==
McNamara resided in the large unincorporated community of Metairie with his wife, the former Alma J. Loisel. The couple had two sons, John Price McNamara and Dwight Loisel McNamara (1967-2005), and two daughters, Joni McNamara Parent and Nancy Ann McNamara Miller (died 2014).<ref name=obituary>{{cite web|url=http://obits.nola.com/obituaries/nola/obituary.aspx?n=abel-john-mcnamara-buddy&pid=173357455&fhid=17429|title=Hon. Abel John "Buddy" McNamara Obituary|publisher=''New Orleans Times-Picayune''|accessdate=December 3, 2014}}</ref>
McNamara died at his home in 2014 of progressive supranuclear palsy. He was interred on December 6 at Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans.<ref name=obituary/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Sources==
* {{FJC Bio|1590}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, A. J.}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Attorneys]]
[[Category:State Representatives]]
[[Category:Judges]]
[[Category:Catholics]]
[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]
[[Category:Former Democrats]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:United States Navy]]
|name=Abel John "Buddy" McNamara
|image=A. J. McNamara of LA.jpg
|office=Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
|term_start=June 21, 1982
|term_end=June 9, 2001
|appointed=[[Ronald Reagan]]
|preceded=Edward James Boyle, Sr.
|succeeded=Jay Zainey
|office2=Louisiana State Representative<br> for Jefferson Parish
|term_start2=1976
|term_end2=1980
|birth_name= Abel John McNamara
|birth_place=[[New Orleans]], Louisiana
|birth_date=June 9, 1936
|death_date=December 2, 2014 (aged 78)
|death_place=Metairie, Louisiana
|death_cause=Progressive supranuclear palsy
|resting_place[Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans
|residence=Metairie, Louisiana
|spouse=Alma J. Loisel McNamara
|children=Four children<br>
'''Parents''':<br>
Henry D. and Ruby Price McNamara
|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1977)
|occupation=[[Attorney]]; retired judge; former [[engineer]]
|alma_mater=Jesuit High Schoo in New Orleans<br>
[[Louisiana State University]]<br>Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
|religion=[[Roman Catholic]]
|branch=[[United States Navy]]
|serviceyears=1959-1962 }}
'''Abel John McNamara''' (June 9, 1936 – December 2, 2014), was a [[Louisiana]] state representative from 1976 to 1980 and a [[judge]] of the [[New Orleans]]-based United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, who served full-time from June 21, 1982, until the fall of 2001, when he assumed senior status.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/12/retired_judge_aj_buddy_mcnamar.html#incart_river|title=Retired U.S. District Court Judge A.J. "Buddy" McNamara, 78, died Tuesday|author=Andy Grimm|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=December 3, 2014|accessdate=April 8, 2022}}</ref>
==Background==
A son of Henry D. McNamara and the former Ruby Price, McNamara, graduated in 1954 from the [[Roman Catholic]] Jesuit High School in his native New Orleans. In 1959, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. In 1968, he received his [[Juris Doctor]]ate degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.<ref name=bio/>
McNamara served in the [[United States Navy]] from 1959 to 1962. From 1966 to 1968, while in law school he was a bailiff and law clerk for U.S. District Judge Herbert W. Christenberry of the same court on which McNamara served. He maintained a private law practice from 1968 to 1982, when he became a judge.<ref name=bio/>
In 1976, he joined three other attorneys in forming the partnership Hailey, McNamara, McNamara, and Hall. The name was changed to Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale in 1982, when A. J. McNamara was appointed to the district judgeship. The firm is among the largest in Jefferson Parish and one of the largest litigation operations in metropolitan New Orleans.<ref name=bio/>
==Political life==
While practicing law, McNamara served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from populous Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans. Elected in the first-ever nonpartisan blanket primary in 1975, he was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] representative from 1976 to 1977, and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] convert from 1977 to 1980. He did not seek reelection in the 1979 primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.la.gov/legisdocs/members/h1812-2016.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2016: Jefferson Parish|publisher=legis.la.gov|accessdate=April 7, 2022}}</ref>
In 1976, as a Democrat, McNamara cast a critical vote against the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] in the House Civil Law Committee. The unfavorable committee vote effectively killed the prospects of ratifying the amendment for the second time in Louisiana.
In the 105-member Louisiana House, McNamara served with six other Republicans at the time: [[Clark Gaudin]] of Baton Rouge, three members from Caddo Parish, [[Art Sour]], [[B. F. O'Neal, Jr.]], and [[Bruce Lynn]], and two converts to [[Republican Party|GOP]], [[Michael F. "Mike" Thompson]] of [[Lafayette]], and [[Lane Carson]] of New Orleans.
In 1980, McNamara supported the [[Ronald W. Reagan]] and [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] national ticket against [[Jimmy Carter]] and [[Walter Mondale]]. President Reagan thereafter nominated McNamara for the bench on May 5, 1982, for the seat vacated by Judge Edward James Boyle, Sr., and the [[U.S. Senate]] quickly confirmed him.
McNamara was succeeded full-time on the court by Judge Jay Zainey (born 1951), a nominee of President [[George W. Bush]], who was confirmed on October 10, 2001.
==Private life==
McNamara resided in the large unincorporated community of Metairie with his wife, the former Alma J. Loisel. The couple had two sons, John Price McNamara and Dwight Loisel McNamara (1967-2005), and two daughters, Joni McNamara Parent and Nancy Ann McNamara Miller (died 2014).<ref name=obituary>{{cite web|url=http://obits.nola.com/obituaries/nola/obituary.aspx?n=abel-john-mcnamara-buddy&pid=173357455&fhid=17429|title=Hon. Abel John "Buddy" McNamara Obituary|publisher=''New Orleans Times-Picayune''|accessdate=December 3, 2014}}</ref>
McNamara died at his home in 2014 of progressive supranuclear palsy. He was interred on December 6 at Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans.<ref name=obituary/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Sources==
* {{FJC Bio|1590}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McNamara, A. J.}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Attorneys]]
[[Category:State Representatives]]
[[Category:Judges]]
[[Category:Catholics]]
[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]
[[Category:Former Democrats]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:United States Navy]]