Stephen Paden “Steve” Tokoly, 86, of Dallas, TX died on Sunday, March 2, 2025, in Dallas. He will be laid to rest in a private graveside service at Leland-Stoneville Cemetery.
Stephen was born on February 28, 1939, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and moved to Dallas in about 1948. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1958. After graduation that year, he joined and then served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. His service included 6 months of active duty during which he graduated from Marine Corps Boot Camp at MCRD San Diego and then successfully completed the Individual Combat Training program at Camp Pendleton, California. His active reserve duties were conducted as a member of an artillery battalion based in Dallas, Texas. Tokoly earned an Associate in Arts degree with Honors from Tyler Junior College in 1961, a Bachelor in Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1964 and 1967 respectively. While in law school his activities included being class representative to the Student Bar Association and being a member of Phi Delta Phi, an international legal honor fraternity.
After graduation from law school, Tokoly was employed with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office by District Attorney Henry Wade. He was employed there from December of 1967 until March of 1978. He was repeatedly promoted up through the office ranks to positions of responsibility, including the position of Chief Prosecutor assigned to the 194th Judicial District Court, and ultimately, the position of Chief Felony Prosecutor. During his employment under Henry Wade, Tokoly’s trial experience included participation in the jury trials of hundreds of contested criminal cases, including more than 50 murder trials, of which 13 were trials for capital offenses.
Tokoly entered private law practice in 1978, where for many years he handled primarily state and federal criminal defense cases. As well, he handled certain civil law matters, including his representation of lawyers before state bar grievance committees.
During private law practice, Tokoly gained statewide notoriety after the Governor appointed him as special prosecutor for the capital murder trial of Jerry “Animal” McFadden, which was conducted in 1987 in Bell County after a change of venue. McFadden was convicted of Capital Murder of a young woman from Hawkins, Texas, received a death sentence and was subsequently executed. Arthur “Cappy” Eads, the Bell County District Attorney who helped Tokoly prosecute the McFadden case, said in 2001 that “He (Tokoly) is one of the finest lawyers I have ever met”.
After being in private law practice for over 2 decades, Tokoly was asked by then Dallas County District Attorney Bill Hill to return to the District Attorney’s Office to fill the new position of Felony Trial Bureau Chief. Mr. Tokoly accepted the offer and, thus, became the first Felony Trial Bureau Chief of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, a position that he held from April of 2001 until his retirement on November 30, 2005. As Felony Trial Bureau Chief, Tokoly’s duties included supervision of the day to day operations of the prosecutors assigned to the criminal district courts and to the special divisions. Additionally, Tokoly participated in the jury trials of 3 capital murder cases. Convictions for Capital Murder were obtained in all 3 cases. In 2 of these cases in which the State sought the death penalty (one involving the murder of a Dallas Police Officer and one involving murder during the course of a robbery), both defendants, after being found guilty as charged, were sentenced to death and subsequently executed.
Tokoly served in a variety of professional activities. He was a member of the State Bar of Texas Grievance Committee, Sixth Bar District (1979-1984). He was appointed Vice Chairman of this committee and served in that capacity during 1982-1984. As a member of the Dallas Bar Association, he served as Chairman of the Speakers Committee in 1989. He was a member of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and of the Board of Advisors of the Criminal Law Students Association of Southern Methodist University School of Law.
Tokoly, a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas, expressed on numerous occasions to his wife and others who knew him, his belief in and dependence upon his Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Stephen strongly believed that God’s help after prayer made the difference in the outcome of difficult trials, both in and out of the courtroom, time after time, in his life.
In addition to his wife, Linda, Stephen Tokoly is survived by his son, Scott; son, Braden, and his wife, Melissa, and their son, Jacob, and daughter, Noelle; son, Stephen, and his wife, Melissa, and their daughters, Paden and Taylor; son, Matthew and daughter, Kimberly, and her daughter, Ariel. Tokoly was preceded in death by his father and mother, Stephen and Margaret Tokoly, and by his sister, Marilyn Tokoly Gunnels.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231.