Longtime Lexington judge, Keeneland lover Lewis Paisley dies at 80
A longtime Kentucky attorney and judge known for his mentorship, love of horse racing and the Rolling Stones died Oct. 27. He was 80.
Lewis G. Paisley served as a district and circuit judge in Fayette County, as well as a judge on the court of appeals until his 2008 retirement.
Originally from Huntington, W.Va., Paisley graduated from Georgetown College in 1973 with a degree in economics. Three years later, he graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He was appointed to the Lexington district court bench in June 1982.
While on the circuit bench, he presided over a landmark gay rights case in Lexington.
In 1986, Paisley was the trial court judge in Commonwealth vs. Wasson, where he ruled a state law banning sodomy was unconstitutional.
The decision was upheld by the Kentucky Supreme Court in 1992.
“He truly loved being a judge,” his son, Franklin Paisley, said in an interview with the Herald-Leader. “One of the unusual things about my dad — not many people like lawyers — he just loved lawyers and being a lawyer. He had the fondest feeling and thought it was an honorable profession.”
Sheila Isaac, Paisley’s wife and a fellow judge, said he was a mentor to her, as he was to so many.
During her first years on the bench, she said she found herself trying to explain rulings to lawyers and involved parties as if she could convince them she was right.
Paisley, in his gentle way, told her that all judges need a sign at the bench that says, “Shut up and rule.” Isaac wrote it on a note that still goes to court with her.
“His courage as a judge was exceptional, his manner was gentle, his intellect was remarkable,” Isaac said. “He was truly ‘a man for all seasons.’”
Fayette District Court Judge Lindsay Hughes Thurston said Paisley was a mentor to her, too. He worked with kindness, wisdom, and quiet strength, she said.
“Judge Paisley certainly made a lasting mark on our court system,” Hughes Thurston said. “I am grateful to have known him, to have learned from him, and to have witnessed his legendary commitment to justice and community.”
Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court Debra Hembree Lambert offered condolences to the Paisley family, friends and former colleagues.
“Judge Paisley’s commitment to justice will continue to inspire those of us privileged to follow in his footsteps,” Lambert said.
A Keeneland aficionado
Although he was widely known for wearing the black robe, he could be found in Box 256 each October and April for the Keeneland meets, where he donned a tweed cap, racing booklet and a smile.
“He loved Keeneland horse racing,” said his daughter, Katherine Paisley.
This month, Lewis Paisley got to take his 8-week-old grandson, Franklin “Church” Paisley Jr., to his first fall meet — continuing a Paisley tradition into the fourth generation.
Andrew Perkins, a parishioner of First Presbyterian Church, was also a guest of Paisley’s.
Paisley invited Perkins to attend a meet with him after Perkins said he didn’t know much about horse racing, aside from general awareness of the Kentucky Derby.
“(Paisley) just called me up one day and said, ‘How about you come with me to Keeneland?’ and we had a ball,” Perkins recalled. “...I am grateful I got to know Lewis even for a short time, and grateful for the way he treated me. He made me feel significant. That is the best way people can treat each other.”
A judge’s passion for information
It wasn’t just horse racing for which Paisley had a passion, his family said. He dived into every new hobby he took up over the years.
“He loved information and was very curious about anything that crossed his path and get educated about it,” Katherine Paisley said.
For a while, it was attending the Indianapolis 500 each year. Then it was hiking, as he learned about all the rivers, canyons and the discovery of the West. When his hobby was fly-fishing, he learned about the different flies, the companies and where they are located.
“Everything was an opportunity to know the richness of the subject,” Katherine Paisley said. “That was how he was in all aspects of his life.”
That included being a father.
“I was very lucky and honored to call him dad,” Katherine Paisley said. “There is nothing better than that.”
Paisley is survived by his wife, Sheila Isaac, his son Franklin Paisley (Katy Ross), daughter Katherine Paisley, stepdaughter Whitney Adams Lockridge (Michael), and grandchildren Church and Isaiah.
Memorial services will take place Saturday, Nov. 1, at First Presbyterian Church on North Mill Street. A memorial will begin at 1 p.m., with visitation to follow at 2 p.m.
