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Former Indiana Court of Appeals Judge John T. Sharpnack, 90, died on March 25.
Sharpnack was born in Columbus, Ind., and attended Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, where he lived with his mother and stepfather. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Cincinnati in 1955.
Following graduation, he volunteered for the draft and served in the U.S. Army for two years. He was an ammunition storage specialist. When the captain of his ordnance battalion learned he enjoyed writing he ordered Sharpnack to take a typing course. While in the army Sharpnack learned to type and was introduced to the law as a reporter for Special Courts Martial.
After serving in the U.S. Army, Sharpnack started at the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1957. He was a member of the editorial board and editor-in-chief of the Cincinnati Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. In 1960, he graduated with an LLB, third in his class.
Sharpnack started his legal career as a trial attorney with the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. He had been recruited by the Attorneys General Honors Program for high-caliber entry-level attorneys. He worked in Washington, D.C., for three years before returning to the Hoosier state.
In 1963, Sharpnack returned to Columbus and was admitted to the Indiana Bar. He then joined the family firm of Sharpnack, Bigley, David and Rumple.
Sharpnack was a third-generation lawyer. His grandfather had served as Bartholomew Circuit Court Judge and his father was a trial lawyer.
The firm traces its origins to 1824. The Columbus law firm is now Sharpnack Bigley Stroh & Washburn LLP.
While in private practice, Sharpnack served as chairman of both the Trial Section and the House of Delegates of the Indiana State Bar Association, and for five years was a member of the state bar’s ethics Committee. For six years he was a member of the Indiana Supreme Court Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. From 1987 to 1988, he was President of the Indiana Defense Lawyers Association. He also served on several local boards, including the Foundation for Youth, the United Way, and the Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Department.
In 1991, Sharpnack was appointed by Gov. Evan Bayh to the fifth district of the Indiana Court of Appeals. He had spent 27 years in private practice.
Sharpnack was elected by his colleagues to three terms as chief judge. He served in that role for over nine years. He retired in May 2008 and then served as a senior judge.
“The Indiana Judiciary has lost a titan in former Chief Judge of the Indiana Court of Appeals, John Sharpnack. He was a splendid lawyer, a principled and devoted judge, and a fine man who loved our profession. Thank you, Judge Sharpnack for all you did for our profession. RIP,” Lewis Wagner LLP Partner John Trimble shared on X.
Marion Superior Court Judge Stephen Creason shared on LinkedIn “Without question, the Honorable John T. Sharpnack was one of finest jurists in Indiana history. His service on the Court of Appeals of Indiana was remarkable. I have many fond memories of him on the bench. RIP, Judge Sharpnack.”
Sharpnack is survived by his wife of 63 years, Helen; his son Christopher Sharpnack; his daughter Rosanne Sharpnack; and grandson A. Trent Sparks.
According to Hathaway-Myers Chapel, no services scheduled at the moment.
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