In Memory of Frank A. Engfelt, USD Professor of Law 1934-2007: October 19 Memorial Service
 Longtime USD law school faculty member Professor Frank A. Engfelt passed away on Tuesday, October 4, after a lengthy illness. Professor Engfelt taught at the law school from 1963 to 2004. His courses included contracts, trusts, criminal law and procedure, uniform commercial code, conflict of laws, and remedies. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkley, in 1953, his LL.B. from the University of Utah in 1957 and his LL.M. in taxation and estate planning from Georgetown University in 1961. Prior to joining the USD faculty, Professor Engfelt was a Bigelow Teaching Fellow at the University of Chicago. He served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1962.
Some law school alumni shared their fondest memories of Professor Engfelt. Law Alumni Association board member Marty B. Lorenzo, '96, said, "Every year at the Women's Law Caucus fund raising auction, one of the most popular items was a ride in Professor Engfelt's red 1969 Porsche 911S. He was quite proud of this piece of German engineering and named her 'Hester' after Hester Prynne's character in the Scarlet Letter. But, unlike his thorough treatment of legal concepts like promissory estoppel and third party beneficiaries, Professor Engfelt never did completely explain how he drew a connection between his car and the character from Hawthorne's novel who was forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A'. When asked, he'd reply with a chuckle and say it's a 911S...it's red...' which was his way of teaching us not to make things more complicated. That's one of the many lessons I learned in my contracts class with Frank."
"I had two classes with Professor Engfelt," Candi M. Mayes, '96, reflected, "and, in a world of frustrating Socratic method, he always had a way of just getting to the point which I really appreciated. He frequently reminded us to 'KISS' (keep it simple stupid). To this day, I still use the term 'dirty rotten breacher' just like Frank taught me. He made me smile and I'll remember him fondly always."
Donald E. Mayes, '96, shared, "During my contracts class, Professor Engfelt was lecturing about some super-important foundational principle of American jurisprudence and, somehow, illustrated the fine point of law that he was explaining by telling the class how then Dean Kristine Strachan was putting a computer in his office. Professor Engfelt (hereinafter referred to affectionately as 'Frank') wrinkled up his face in that way that he always did when he was expressing disdain, incredulity, or dissent and said 'I don't need a computer in my office! I've gotten along just fine for all of these years without one!' After graduating, I visited with Frank in his office. The same computer that inspired the sour facial contortions only five years earlier now brought a huge smile to his face as he displayed his grandson's Web page for me! I remember him, as most of us do, by those two faces."
In a 2005 interview for Conversations in Legal Education: Oral Histories of the First Half-Century of the University of San Diego School of Law, Professor Engfelt remarked, "I have always felt lucky, some people would say blessed, that I was able to do what I did for so many years, because I can honestly say I really enjoyed it. I was happiest in the classroom."
Professor Engfelt touched many people and will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife, Marcia; his daughter, Ann Marie; his brother, Jerry, his sister, Doelawn Christianson; and two grandchildren, Benjamin (10) and Zachary (7).
The law school is having a memorial service on Friday, October 19, 2:00 p.m., in the Warren Hall foyer to honor Professor Engfelt. Please contact the dean's office at (619) 260-4527 or lawdean@sandiego.edu for more information on the service. If you would like to share any of your personal memories of Professor Engfelt, please email lawalum@sandiego.edu.
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