Dennis J. Hubel

Dennis J. Hubel JD ’76 died at home September 16, 2019, after several years of undergoing surgeries and treatments for myeloma cancer, heart disease, and pulmonary problems. He was 71.

Dennis, a native New Yorker, grew up in Portland and most recently lived in Wilsonville. After attending Cornell University on a Navy ROTC scholarship and studying engineering, he spent time in the Navy on a nuclear submarine and served in Vietnam.

Following his service, Dennis enrolled in law school, clerking for then-U.S. Attorney Sid Lezak. He practiced law as a partner in Mitchell, Lang & Smith from 1976 to 1987. Dennis then worked as a partner for the Karnopp Peterson firm in Bend until he was appointed as a part-time magistrate judge in eastern Oregon in 1995. He was appointed to a full-time magistrate judge’s seat on January 1, 1998, and moved his chambers to Portland. Although Dennis retired in January 2015, he remained on recall status and maintained his chambers at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse until his death.

Dennis was active in the Professional Liability Defense Fund and served for several years on the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference’s Magistrate Judges’ Education Committee. He also served on the Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation board of directors from 1993 through 1997.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Marcia, and two children.