Dallas

Three Sons And a Lifetime of Memories: Ira Tobolowsky's Family Speaks About Their Loss

The three sons of the prominent Dallas civil attorney who died one week ago say they're trying to stay strong, because their dad would want them to "keep smiling and carry on."

Ira Tobolowsky, 68, died in a garage fire at his North Dallas home last week. Investigators say the fire may have been arson, and now Dallas Police Department homicide detectives are investigating the "suspicious" circumstances surrounding the death.

But investigators are still looking for more answers. His sons hope by speaking out and sharing memories of their proud, dedicated father someone may come forward with a tip that can help police with the investigation.

"I want whoever did this to my dad to be brought to justice," said Michael Tobolowsky. "And I want my dad be remembered the way he should be."

"He was a dad, he was a best friend, he was a mentor. He was everything that we could one day hope to be come," he added.

Ira Tobolowsky was a brilliant litigator who once argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, but his children say he was also a funny, sweet-natured dad who never missed a ball game or school recital as his kids grew up.

"He was just so supportive, all the time, and sometimes we took it for granted," Michael Tobolowsky said. "We would say, 'Hey dad, you really don't have to come to every game. You can work if you need to.' And he would always say, 'No, I'm not working. I'm coming.'"

"And it meant something to us then, but it means more to us now because we won't get that chance anymore," he added.

Ira Tobolowsky had difficulty standing up straight and moving his head, but he never let his physical limitations get him down.

"From the second he walked into the courtroom he was underestimated. And you can feel the sense of confidence oozing from the other side, until the moment he started speaking," Michael Tobolowsky said.

Now, Michael Tobolowsky is also a successful civil attorney in Dallas.

Ira Tobolowsky's funeral was this past Sunday, on his son Michael's 29th birthday.

"It feels like a movie, and when we fall asleep it turns into a dream, but when you wake up it's still reality all over again," Michael Tobolowsky said.

Ira Tobolowsky's eldest son, Jonathan Tobolowsky, is getting married at the end of the month, on May 29.

"There's not enough words to explain how much I miss him, how I will always miss him, and he will always be the biggest part of my life," Jonathan Tobolowsky said.

Jonathan Tobolowsky said he knows his dad is proud of him and would want the celebration to go on.

"Every little thing we did, he would continually assure us how proud of us he was. And I will forever miss being told by my father how proud he is of me," he said.

"Will you hear those words in your head when you get married?" asked NBC 5.

"I hear those words right now, I hear them when I wake up, and when I go to sleep. That's what gets me through this," Jonathan Tobolowsky responded.

There will changes to the reception, and the mood will certainly be different, but Jonathan Tobolowsky said it's important for the celebration of life and family to go on, and he knows he'll feel his father's presence.

"He'd tell me you live a long life, you live a happy life, and I'll always be there to keep an eye on you," he said.

The youngest son is 26-year-old Zachary Tobolowsky, who is in his third year of law school at Southern Methodist University. He wants to grow up to be like his dad, and said he spoke to his father nearly every day.

"He would call me every day asking about what I did in class, and what I'm learning about, and he'd share a story about a case he had about that issue," Zachary Tobolowsky said.

"A defining feature about him was that you could be having the worst day imaginable, and he would find a way to make you smile," he added.

The family says Ira Tobolowsky had a disarming wit about him that could win over the judge, the jury and even the opposing counsel.

Michael Tobolowsky shared a story about the time his dad argued a case before the Supreme Court in 1982.

"They asked him, 'How did you get here?' And instead of talking about his background or law practice, he said, 'Through that back door right there,'" he said.

Once during a deposition, the family says Ira Tobolowsky was questioning a woman about her questionable spending habits on her husband's bank accounts.

"'So you mean to tell me you ask permission from your husband before you buy something?'" Ira Tobolowsky asked, the sons recalled.

"Yes, absolutely," the woman responded.

There was a brief pause.

"Will you marry me?" he responded.

"That was Ira being Ira. Dad being dad. And that's how we always want to remember him," Michael Tobolowsky said.

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