Prominent Corbin attorney dies Tuesday at age 73

Maxie Higgason

A prominent Corbin attorney, who died in his home Tuesday, is being remembered today by his family and former business associates as a fun, quirky colleague and compassionate father.

Maxie Higgason, 73, died of natural causes at his home in Corbin Tuesday morning. Up until his sudden passing, Higgason had actively continued his long-standing law practice right in the heart of the town he called home. He specialized in bankruptcy and property law.

“Maxie was a unique person,” said David Hoskins, a Corbin attorney who practiced with Higgason for 12 years, from 1987 until 1999. The two separated as business partners because their legal interests began to diverge. Hoskins now focuses more heavily on criminal defense.

“He moved at a really high speed all the time. His mind worked fast, but he was always patient and very generous,” Hoskins added. “He taught me a lot about how to practice law. I will miss him terribly.”

Higgason, a graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Law, entered the Kentucky Bar Association and began practicing in 1970. During that time, he partnered with numerous well-known local attorneys including retired Circuit Judge Jerry Winchester, current County Attorney Bob Hammons, Forcht Group of Kentucky Founder Terry E. Forcht and Larry Conley, to name a few.

He held and undergraduate degree from Western Kentucky University.

“He was just a very fine man,” Hammons said Tuesday after learning of Higgason’s passing. “He was just one of those guys you looked up to. It seems like just about every lawyer in this area practiced with him at one time or another. I would say he was the expert when it came to bankruptcy law. He really knew his stuff.”

Friends describe Higgason as someone who “never slowed down” and had deep and lasting interests in many areas. His profession was a consuming passion for him. He also enjoyed golfing and an occasional game of chance.

“He was always a lot of fun to be around,” Hoskins remembers. “It seemed like he was in a good mood every time you saw him.”
In his private life, Higgason’s two sons, 49-year-old Kyle Higgason and 30-year-old Michael, say their father was devoted and affectionate, particularly during their upbringing.

“He was a good dad. He was always involved in my athletics when I was in high school. I don’t think he or my mom ever missed a game,” Kyle Higgason said. “Often they even attended most every practice. I’m not sure if they even missed a practice.”

Michael Higgason played soccer in high school. Both are graduates of Corbin High School.

Kyle Higgason said he last saw his father over Christmas when he seemed as active as ever.

“He was a great grandfather too. He was different,” he said. “He wasn’t someone who would get in the floor and roll around with them and wrestle, but he’d smile and tell them he loved them and really show his affection in his own way.”

Higgason had four grandchildren — Abigail, 15; Jackson, 11; Caroline, 8, and Weston, 6.

Kyle Higgason said his dad made a recent trip to Cincinnati, where his family resides, to watch one of his grandchildren in a musical play.

Higgason’s wife, Beverly, died in July 2011 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Kyle said his father was always a devoted fan of Redhound sports and attended many games.

Higgason was a Kentucky Colonel, a member of the Hugh Harris Masonic Lodge and a member of Grace on the Hill United Methodist Church.

Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley said Higgason died from health related issues

On Tuesday, family and office workers say calls of support had been pouring in for Higgason.

“When you practice law in a small town like this for so long, you just come in contact with a lot of people,” Kyle Higgason said. “He probably touched a lot more lives than what he even realized.”

Higgason’s funeral arrangements are being handled by Vankirk-Grissell Funeral Home in Corbin. Details regarding visitation and funeral services were not finalized at press time.