In Memory: G. Marshall Mundy ’56

G. Marshall Mundy ’56, widely respected attorney and former member of the VMI Board of Visitors, died Oct. 31, 2022. He was 88.

The son of Gardner A. Mundy, Class of 1931, and nephew of Jack B. Mundy, Class of 1937, Mundy was on the honor roll for two years and was a distinguished military student in his 2nd and 1st Class years at VMI. He played football and ran track in his rat year, played tennis during his 3rd Class year, and earned his monogram in basketball. He was named to the 1956 edition of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. After graduation, Mundy served in the U.S. Army, leaving the service as a first lieutenant.

He enrolled in the University of Virginia School of Law in 1959 and received his degree in 1962. There, he was on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review from 1960–62 and was its executive editor from 1961–62. He became a member of the honor society Omicron Delta Kappa, as well as The Raven Society.

After graduation, Mundy returned to Roanoke and commenced a 54-year legal career that ended when he was almost 82 years old. Initially associated with Woods, Rogers & Hazelgrove, he went into private practice in 1971 and ended his career as a partner in Mundy, Rogers & Associates, which he established in 2003. His practice included family law and criminal defense, as well as civil rights cases, but Mundy focused on personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases.

Mundy was a leader in his profession at every level. From 1986–91, Mundy was a director of the Roanoke Bar Association and, from 1990–91, its president. He served on the board of governors of the Virginia State Bar’s senior law, criminal law, and litigation sections, and he was chairman of the Virginia Bar Association’s Judiciary Committee from 1971–73. He was a fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation and the American Bar Foundation. He also was an advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates and was the Western Virginia chapter president from 1989–90. Another leading Virginia attorney, Thomas G. Slater Jr. ’66, said of Mundy, “Marshall was highly respected by judges and lawyers alike for his sterling reputation as one of the top trial lawyers in Virginia.”

Mundy’s achievement gained him widespread recognition. For example, his peers recognized his work in personal injury law by selecting him for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for 28 consecutive years, starting in 1987. His name also appeared many times in Who’s Who in American Law.

Mundy was named a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1985. According to Slater, “Only those lawyers who demonstrate the highest examples for trial advocacy, integrity, professionalism, and collegiality are invited to join the college.” In 2014, he received the Roanoke Bar Association’s Frank W. Rogers Lifetime Achievement Award, which “recognizes lawyers with the highest tradition of personal and professional excellence.”

His service to VMI began in 1960 when he joined the VMI Keydet Club Board of Governors, serving until 1966. He was on the VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1990–2002. For eight years, from 2005–13, Mundy was on the VMI Board of Visitors. Slater, BOV president from 2008–11, said, “Marshall was always well prepared, and he could be counted on for his sage advice. He and [P. Wesley Foster ’56] served the same time on the BOV, and their love of VMI was second to none. They shared a sharp, contagious sense of humor that kept everyone in a good mood. Marshall set a wonderful example for how board members should work together to promote the Corps of Cadets.”

Active in the VMI Alumni Association Roanoke Chapter for decades, Mundy was a mentor to younger alumni. Robert R. Copty ’70 remembered, “When I came back to Roanoke after graduating, Marshall was just so nice and supportive. He also helped me with some minor traffic infractions when I was younger. He never sent me a bill, but he did laugh at me. Marshall was so passionate in everything he did, which made him a great lawyer and a great leader in support of VMI and among local alumni.”

Ramon Williams ’90 and his twin brother, Damon Williams ’90, both from the Roanoke area, met Mundy in early 1987. “Damon and I were playing basketball in Cocke Hall when in came this tall, slender gentleman with two little kids,” recalled Ramon. “They asked to play basketball but hesitated for a moment, staring at us, and then said, ‘You two guys look alike.’ Mr. Mundy then introduced himself and Marshall Jr. and Natalie. Mr. Mundy would later invite our family to meet his family to get to know one another better. Damon and I spent a lot of time throughout our cadetship with the Mundys. Our families stayed very close after graduation from VMI. We shared many special occasions together. He attended Damon’s wedding, for example, and we shared many dinners. Marshall was a mentor to the both of us throughout the years, and we considered him one of our best friends.”

Mundy’s devotion to VMI manifested itself in his philanthropy, much of which he focused toward athletics. “His love for VMI athletics, especially for basketball, never waned,” said Gregory M. Cavallaro ’84, senior major gift officer and former VMI Keydet Club chief operating officer. In 2005, Mundy and his wife, Monika, established the Mundy Family Athletic Scholarship, which supports the basketball and football teams. According to Cavallaro, as much satisfaction as Mundy took from supporting these teams, “He loved more the association he and Monika enjoyed with several of the cadet-athletes who were on the scholarship, including basketball greats Travis Holmes ’09 and Stan Okoye ’13. Marshall represented the very best of VMI and all that is so special about the VMI family.”

Mundy is survived by his wife, Monika; four children, Stephens M. Mundy, Liza I. Mundy, G. Marshall Mundy Jr., and Natalie J. Mundy; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Watson A. Mundy ’59.