A relatively clean bill of health after years of illness is leading a Hays County Justice of the Peace to retire at the end of his current term.
Terry Kyle, who has served as the Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace for the past 12 years, announced in a press release he intends to retire when his term ends Jan. 1, 2019.
Kyle said he’s chosen to retire in order to be able to spend “some quality years” with his wife and family after his physical health returned to “some degree of normalcy.”
During his term as the Pct. 4 JP, Kyle underwent eight surgeries, including one for a kidney transplant.
Before the transplant, Kyle endured years of therapy for chronic kidney disease, along with a prostate cancer diagnosis.
“My goal as Justice of the Peace has alway been to protect and defend the consutition and laws of the United States of America and those of the state of Texas ... To do that, a judge must never diminish the honor and integrity inherent to the judiciary. I pray I have achieved that goal.” Terry Kyle, Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace
Kyle said his kidney disease diagnosis came after he went in for some routine blood work roughly 15 years ago.
An elevated creatine level prompted Kyle’s primary care physician to suggest a follow up appointment with a kidney specialist. It was at that time Kyle discovered his kidneys were only functioning at 75 percent.
A strict diet and exercise helped slow the disease. Kyle said a bout of bronchitis in October 2016, however, accelerated Kyle’s disease. The use of antibiotics cut his kidney production to 12 percent.
As a result, Kyle was expedited in the kidney transplant process. His sister was found to be a match and last year Kyle had his kidney replaced.
“I’m getting back to a new normal. I have to establish a new normal somewhere,” Kyle said. “I was better than what I was last year. I was really ill last year.”
Kyle has also overcome a prostate cancer diagnosis, which was made after a biopsy was conducted in November 2009.
Luckily, Kyle’s doctor said the cancer was 99 percent contained in his prostate. Kyle had prostate surgery in December 2009 to remove the cancerous cells.
“I joked with my wife, ‘I need to retire before I have any more surgeries,’” Kyle said.
Kyle said working as a JP has so far been a “profound impact on my life.”
While the position has been at times frustrating, he said it’s also been educational and “satisfying.”
An Austin native who attended Texas Lutheran University in Seguin in the late 1960s, Kyle had to put his aspirations for a law degree on hold and started working after his father passed away.
His intent was to go back and finish school, but Kyle was never able to fulfill that dream.
“While that didn’t happen, this is the next best thing,” Kyle said. “It filled a niche in my life. I couldn’t finish my education, but ever since, I was able to get a million dollar education as a JP.”
Over his 12 year tenure, Kyle said he has seen the influx of growth in the Dripping Springs area, which he said has been “dramatic.”
But he also established a relationship with the community he serves, which transcends the day-to-day operation and the politics of the position.
One way is understanding most people he serves in the justice courts are living paycheck-to-paycheck. As JP, Kyle realizes he can be a solution in a resident’s life and not the problem.
“It’s not the goal of the JP courts to raise revenue. I could care less about how much revenue the office brings in,” Kyle said. “What I care about is helping folks in a day-to-day basis to alleviate their burden in some way.”
Kyle now advocates for residents interested in running for Pct. 4 JP position to file before the end of the year, which is the deadline.
“My goal as Justice of the Peace has alway been to protect and defend the consutition and laws of the United States of America and those of the state of Texas,” Kyle said. “To do that, a judge must never diminish the honor and integrity inherent to the judiciary. I pray I have achieved that goal.”
