Monday,
September 10,
Dale Tursi, of
The
ANNOTICO Report
Dale Tursi of Pueblo, CO whose parents, were both
Italian immigrants, instilled hardworking, humanitarian ideals that followed Tursi through the military during
World War II, the courtrooms of Colorado during his days as a lawyer, the
statehouse (where, as a State Senator, he was instrumental in bringing a
four-year university to Pueblo) and the bench of the Colorado Court of Appeals.
He helped change the perceptions about Italian Americans
The
City of
Ask an immigrant
why he left the comfort and familiarity of home to come here.
The likely
answer: to lay the foundation for a better life for future generations of his
family, in hopes that they might realize the American dreams of personal
accomplishment and community contribution.
Dale Tursi of
The hardworking,
humanitarian ideals that his parents instilled followed Tursi
into the European Theater during World War II, the courtrooms of Colorado
during his days as a lawyer, the statehouse (where, as a state senator, he was
instrumental in bringing a four-year university to
Tursi's fascinating tale began
before he arrived.
His parents have
a love story for the ages. And their boy, Adeline (who later
settled on "Dale"), attained accomplishments that undoubtedly would have
made them proud.
In 1916 at age
16, Dale Tursi's mother, Lisa, boarded the last ship
allowed to leave
By the time his
future bride arrived in the
In the close-knit
Italian immigrant community in
He became
increasingly infatuated with the mysterious stranger whose picture piqued his
interest. Eventually, he mailed her a picture of himself, and proposed
marriage.
After a courtship
that weathered the objections of her mother, the couple wed in 1918. Their
relationship had survived concerns from the bride's mother about the rough-hewn
reputation of those who hailed from the southern part of
But this couple
flourished, and learned that the stereotypes about their countrymen were
off-base. They got along famously and eventually welcomed two sons. The younger
boy, Dale, came along in 1925.
His grandfather
had been a clerk for a law office in
Thurs was raised
in
After one year of
college, Tursi felt compelled to join the military
and do his part during World War II. As the son of Italian immigrants, he was
forbidden from joining the Navy, but the Army welcomed him. He was sent to
After seeing
action toward the end of the
While
on that assignment, he met a precocious young woman one year his junior whose
outspoken criticism of the Nazi party, among other endearing qualities, plucked
Tursi' heartstrings.
Thurs returned to
the
But memories of
the blond German, Bridgett, haunted him. So in 1948, he returned to
When he did, he
was heartsick to learn that she was engaged to another man. But the determined Tursi left the continent with Bridgett on his arm.
By 1951, Tursi had graduated from the Drake University School of Law
and was a practicing attorney in his hometown of
Visits to
A quick scan of
Front Range phone books revealed that
I didn't
want to live in a big town, Tursi said.
It must have
been. Pueblo has been Tursi's home since 1952, except
for interludes spent in the state Legislature and on the Colorado Court of
Appeals.
After two years
of handling insurance claims, Tursi opened his own
law practice in 1954. His office in the
People used
to ask me what my specialty was, Tursi said.
I'd answer that whatever someone had a filing fee for was my
specialty.
Tursi continued to pursue his
dreams even after establishing himself on the local legal scene.
One dream
that I never realized before leaving
He got a chance
to pursue a similar dream here. After becoming active in Democratic politics,
he soon was elected president of the local chapter of the Young Democrats.
In
1961, carried by a swell of support from labor, Tursi
was elected to the Colorado Senate. Until this year, it marked the last time
that Democrats held the governor's seat and both houses of the Colorado General
Assembly.
During his only
term in the Legislature, from 1961 to 1965, Tursi introduced
an ill-fated bill to do away with the death penalty, something he still
vehemently opposes. He also was instrumental in expanding
Following his
term in the Legislature, Tursi returned to
He submitted his
name for consideration when a seat came open on the Colorado Court of Appeals
in 1981 and landed the position.
On the court, he
earned the reputation as a frequently dissenting voice. Off the bench, his
peers found him agreeable.
We would
sometimes have different points of view on the law, but we would express our
opinions and respect each others' opinions, said Charles Pierce, who
served on the Colorado Court of Appeals with Tursi.
What was
different for both of us at first was shifting over from being a trial advocate
to looking at both sides. All judges have to learn that. Once Tursi got the hang of it, he did a fine job. He was an
excellent judge. Sometimes he'd bring out a well-though-out view that none of
us had thought of, Pierce said.
Pierce had known Tursi since the late 1950s, when they were in the same
Once (Tursi), got what was the largest civil judgment ever
obtained in
Despite their
sometimes differences of legal opinion, Pierce and Tursi
have remained close friends.
You have to
admire Dale for his loyalty and his honesty, and not being afraid to express a
different opinion. He'd always stand up for what he believed was correct,
Pierce said. He could debate anything and not make it personal.
Other things, Tursi did take personally. Friends in
need, for instance.
Jim Phelps, Tursi's former law partner and one of his closest friends,
recalled one of those occasions.
Phelps marched
into Tursi's office with urgency and informed him
that a relative of Phelps was involved in an emergency in
By the time
I reached my car, I noticed Dale was a couple of steps behind me, Phelps
said. He insisted on coming along, helping with the driving. That's the
kind of friend he has always been.
Tursi served on the Court of
Appeals until the end of 1993. After that, he served as a senior judge, occasionally
appearing in courthouses throughout the state to fill in when the sitting
judges were absent.
Tursi married and divorced a
second time before he connected with his present wife of eight years, Val.
One Tursi trait that has marveled many of his friends is his
unyielding ambition. Now, after hanging up his senior judge's robe at age 82, Tursi has taken on a new adventure as a panelist reviewing
disputes governed by the North American Free Trade Agreement.
It kind of
completes the circle, Tursi said.
International law has always fascinated me, and this is my chance to
really dig in and learn a new area of law.
Tursi's latest endeavor didn't
come as a surprise to those closest to him.
Dale has
trouble just hanging out, kicking back and relaxing, Phelps said.
There's something inside him that just keeps him moving on. His mind is
turning all the time. I guess that's part of what makes Dale, Dale.
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