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Longtime Akron trial lawyer remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: June 13, 2017
As a young man growing up in Akron, Barberton Municipal Court Presiding and Administrative Judge David Fish said he never considered embarking on a legal career. But then he met attorney Robert J. Drexler.
“Bob encouraged me to consider becoming a lawyer,” said Judge Fish. “He told me I would be excellent because I had the right skill set. He put me on the path and was always willing to assist me along the way. I am not sure I ever would have gone into law if Bob had not planted the seed in my mind.”
The longtime trial attorney inspired and mentored many others over the years, including his own son. On May 17, he passed away at the age of 86, while living in Columbus.
“My father was an amazing dad,” said Robert J. Drexler, Jr., an employment litigation attorney at Capstone Law in Los Angeles. “He tried 20 or 30 cases a year and yet he always made time for his kids. I was a swimmer at Firestone High School and he attended every one of my swim meets. He never missed a PTA meeting and was home for dinner every night.
“As a child I would sometimes do my homework in his law office and I got the chance to watch him in the courtroom,” said Drexler Jr. “He was a true trial attorney and I am definitely proud to follow in his footsteps.”
Born in Akron on Nov. 21, 1930 to Raymond and Agnes Drexler, he was the third of their six children.
Drexler, who spent the bulk of his life in Akron, graduated from St. Mary High School. Prior to enrolling at Kent State University, he served honorably in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict from 1951 to 1953.
He met his wife Cecilia Lack at his brother’s wedding in 1956. At the time she was a nurse at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron. They were married in June 1957, the same year he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kent State. They have three children.
After graduating college, Drexler took a job as a claims adjuster at Nationwide Insurance.
While working for Nationwide, Drexler attended night classes at The University of Akron School of Law, getting his juris doctor in 1963.
In 1968, he left his job at Nationwide and started working at Knowlton, Sanderson, Ragan, Cady, Corbett & Drexler, where he remained until he retired in 1997. He focused on insurance defense and other work involving insurance companies and represented prominent clients like Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
In addition to trial work, his son said he regularly argued before the Ohio Courts of Appeals and also argued at the Ohio Supreme Court.
“My father was the kind of lawyer who could relate to everyone on the jury,” said Drexler Jr. “Whether you were a Supreme Court justice or a homeless man, he treated you the same.
“He possessed extreme integrity and common sense,” he said. “He had the ability to get to the heart of the matter and take an issue that was complex and put it into terms that were very understandable. I think that’s why he was so successful.”
Orville Reed, a partner at Stark & Knoll, described Drexler as “a formidable fixture in the Court of Common Pleas of Summit County for most of my years of practice.
“When I came back to Akron in 1973 to start practicing, Bob was already an established lawyer,” said Reed. “We had many cases together as co-counsel and as opponents. He was a very effective litigator and a logical thinker, who was respected by all lawyers and judges in Akron.
“His clients loved him because he had a lot of success,” said Reed. “Bob always stayed current on the ever-changing law, substantive and procedural, and was always well prepared. He was kind to young lawyers and humble in his efforts to help them along. His quick wit made it a pleasure to be in his company.”
Gary Himmel, a sole practitioner and owner of Ohio Mediation Services and Akron Mediation Services, met Drexler in 1983 when he went to work for Knowlton, Sanderson, Ragan, Cady, Corbett & Drexler.
“Bob had the corner office,” said Himmel. “He was the ‘big dog’ in the firm. He was my mentor. I was a former prosecutor and Bob taught me the civil practice of law from ‘soup to nuts.’
“He was kind and a good listener. He truly understood how to practice and get things done,” said Himmel, who worked at the firm for about eight years. “He could pinpoint what a case was worth monetarily with a high degree of accuracy.”
After Himmel left the firm, he said the two kept in touch.
“Bob meant a lot to me in my development as a lawyer,” said Himmel. “He showed me the path to success and I used it to develop my own path. I am forever grateful for what he did for me.”
After Drexler’s wife passed away in 1997, he retired. He enlisted Peter Oldham, now a sole practitioner in Akron, to take over for him.
“Until I moved to the firm, I knew Bob mainly by reputation and through seeing him in court,” said Oldham. “Bob was a tenacious litigator and was well known for his litigation skills throughout Northeast Ohio.
“Bob was a great guy and a good family man,” said Oldham. “We became friends.”
Drexler moved to Columbus about seven years ago to be closer to his daughter Kathleen.
“We are all grateful for his unconditional love and the selflessness with which he provided for our family,” said Drexler Jr.
“When I saw that he passed, I had a gut-level degree of sadness,” said Judge Fish.
A mass of Christian burial was held on May 22 at St. Bernard Catholic Church paying tribute to Drexler’s life, followed by entombment at Holy Cross Mausoleum.
Drexler leaves behind his children Robert Jr. (Rob Beckon), Jean Drexler (John Golgolab) and Kathleen Klingler (Jeff); grandchildren Elaine, Joseph, Claire, Jacob and Jack and siblings Irene Davis, William Drexler and Rita Bauman.
His wife Cecilia (Lack), parents Raymond and Agnes and siblings Ray and Paul all preceded him in death.