Springfield attorney Mathew Placzek died Nov. 2 while fishing in Esquel, Argentina. He would have turned 70 on Nov. 27.
Judge Bill Francis, Placzek’s business partner for 22 years, said Placzek died of an aortic aneurysm.
Prior to his appointment as chief judge for the Southern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals in 2010, Francis partnered with Placzek in Springfield law firm Placzek & Francis.
That year, Placzek founded Placzek Winget & Placzek, a personal injury, workers’ compensation and whistleblower litigation firm that employs three other attorneys, including his daughter, partner Jenifer Placzek.
Placzek Winget & Placzek partner Joseph Winget declined to speak about the firm’s plans moving forward. Jenifer Placzek was not in the office this morning.
Born in Westfield, Mass., Mathew Placzek served as a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., and South Korea. He also was deployed to Thailand and served during the Dominican Civil War. He graduated from Clark University in Massachusetts and received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. After moving to Springfield, he practiced law for 42 years, according to his obituary provided by his daughter.
A member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, Placzek focused on medical malpractice, personal injury, bad faith insurance, motor vehicle accidents and wrongful death litigation. He also published several works in those areas, according to
PWPLawFirm.com.
With his wife Ellen, Placzek had six children: Christa Placzek, Jenifer Placzek, Laura Luehr, Sarah Donelan, Gregory Placzek and Mathew L. Placzek. He also had 12 grandchildren.
A visitation is scheduled 9:30 a.m. Nov. 13 at Saint Agnes Cathedral, 533 S. Jefferson Ave., followed by a funeral mass and celebration of life at 11 a.m. at the church.
