Source:
APTUCSON, Ariz. – Judge John Roll, the federal jurist slain in the Arizona shooting rampage, was known for presiding over tough immigration cases but he was remembered as much for a gentler side, a man devoted to family who enjoyed walking his beloved basset hounds. One week ago, he had stopped by a supermarket meet-and-greet for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and was killed, along with five others. The congresswoman, recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, was still in critical condition, but progressing.
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Roll's older brother, Ed, told mourners that his family moved to Arizona from Pittsburgh when Roll was a child because their mother's health was failing and doctors thought the weather might help. When Roll's mother eventually died, of a heart condition, the future judge was just 15. Her death deeply affected him and he changed his middle name from Paul to his mother's maiden name of McCarthy "to keep that part of the family alive," said Carol Bahill, 61, whose husband knew Roll from his undergraduate and law school days at the University of Arizona.
Many members of Roll's family, including his sons and five grandchildren, participated in the funeral Mass and speakers also included a childhood friend, his chief clerk and a colleague on the federal bench. The service ended with a rendition of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."
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Some of Roll's neighbors said they never suspected his line of work, particularly because Roll never seemed pretentious and enjoyed everyday activities, such as walking his two basset hounds every morning and spending time with his wife and grandchildren. "He was just a neighbor," said George Kriss, 70, adding that the last time he saw Roll a few weeks ago, "he had blue jeans on and just a very normal shirt and was hanging onto a couple of leashes."
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110115/ap_on_re_us/us_congresswoman_shot
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