In Memoriam
Judge Berger, a Beloved Figure at the Law School, was on the Launching Pad of Space Law
he Honorable Harold Berger EE’48, L’51, a space law pioneer, co-founder of a Philadelphia law firm, former judge, and staunch supporter of Penn, passed away on August 26 at the age of 98.
A beloved member of the Penn Carey Law community, then-Dean Ted Ruger presented him with the Law School’s inaugural Annual Lifetime Commitment Award in 2017. He called Judge Berger “the best ambassador Penn Law could ever have,” adding, “There’s only one word to describe Judge Berger: irrepressible. Just give him a minute… or two… or three, and he’ll extol the virtues of Penn and Penn Law School. No one loves Penn Law (and Engineering) more than Judge Berger.”
Judge Berger remained involved at Penn throughout his life. He made a gift to establish the Harold and Renee Berger Seminar Room in Tanenbaum Hall, and he served as Chair of the Friends of Biddle Law Library. He also established the library’s Harold Berger Air and Space Collection — which contains scholarship and treatises on aerospace law — in memory of his parents, Anna and Jonas Berger. He was the acting agent for his reunion class for many years. Additionally, he served on the executive board of the Center for Ethics and Rule of Law for many years and served on the board of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Judge Berger grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Archibald, Pennsylvania. Interrupting his undergraduate engineering education at Penn, he joined the U.S. Army during World War II. A near-fatal brush with spinal meningitis during basic training kept him from deploying with his unit, which perished in the Battle of the Bulge.
Spared from near-certain death overseas, Judge Berger received an honorary medical discharge. In a secret intelligence program called Operation Paperclip, he accompanied captured Nazi scientists to the United States, where they were recruited to work for NASA. He worked with German aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun on the development of V2 rockets — which were used as boosters in the nascent U.S. space program.
Following completion of his engineering degree at Penn, he graduated from the Law School at Penn in 1951. Judge Berger referred to the Law School as the “family school” because two of his brothers were also alumni. He began his private legal career with the Berger & Stein law firm. In 1970, he, his brother David, and other friends opened the firm that eventually became Berger Montague, PC, where Judge Berger was a Senior Partner and Managing Principal.
From 1971 to 1972, he served as a Judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, and he remained affiliated with the judiciary as a permanent member of the judicial conference of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
At Berger Montague, he was involved in several complex litigation and class action cases, most notably on the litigation teams that worked on the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Three Mile Island meltdown cases.
“He was probably the most ethical lawyer I’ve ever met,” said H. Laddie Montague, Jr., who is Chairman Emeritus of Berger Montague and continues as Of Counsel. “That was very high on his agenda, and he was very helpful to everybody.”
Judaism was also an important facet of Judge Berger’s life.
He was a longtime board member and national director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Pennsylvania, and he helped fund annual book awards for immigrant college students.
In 2008, Judge Berger created a program called the Harold & Renee Berger Synagogue Network, with the Jewish Learning Venture, to help synagogues develop programs to attract young families and build membership. At his synagogue, Germantown Jewish Centre, the program helped add 50 families to the congregation.
“For Harold, it was really about the children — supporting families and children in the context of their Jewish life,” said Chip Becker, a close family friend who is an adjunct professor at Penn Carey Law and a Partner at Kline & Specter. “That was Harold’s priority, and that was a consistent theme.”
Judge Berger was also a Trustee of The Federation of Jewish Charities of Greater Philadelphia and Director of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.
Judge Berger won many awards, including the Federal Bar Association’s National Service Award for distinguished service to the federal and state judiciary and a Special Philadelphia City Council Resolution in 2021 that honored his achievements in public service, academia, and the national legal community. “He was very much involved in bar association matters, and for many, many years was head of the Federal Bar Association of Philadelphia,” Montague said.
Judge Berger was also an avid tennis player, playing into his 90s. “He was a fierce competitor but always a good sport,” Montague recalled.
Becker said he inspired many others with his warmth and compassion: “A ripple effect of kindness is Harold’s legacy, and that’s a pretty good legacy.”
Judge Berger was preceded in death by his wife, Renee, and siblings Rose, Ellis, Norman, David, and Joseph. He is survived by children Jill and Jon; grandchildren Rachel, Aliza, and Talia; great-grandson Shai Rami; and sister-in-law Francine.
1950s
Cafiero, a lifelong Cape May County resident, served as a Junior Air Raid Warden during World War II and graduated from Wildwood High School. While at Princeton University, he joined the Navy ROTC and was commissioned as an ensign upon graduation. Following graduation from the Law School at Penn in 1954, he practiced law for more than 66 years.
During that time, Cafiero was elected to the New Jersey Assembly in 1968, where he served two terms. In 1972, he was elected to the State Senate, and served there for 10 years. He returned to the Senate in 1990 and served an additional 14 years, retiring from politics in 2004.
Cafiero was remembered for his humor, altruism, humility, loyalty, compassion, quick wit, and bipartisan politics.
He was preceded in death by his brother-in-law and former law partner William Balliette. Cafiero is survived by his best friend and wife Patricia; sons Jamey, Drew, and Stephen; grandchildren Stephanie, Lindsay, Trey, Patrice, Andrew, and Preston; great-grandson Luke and sister Andrea.
Swan graduated from the Wharton School with a degree in economics in 1950. He served in ROTC at Penn and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant. He served eight years in the active reserves and was honorably discharged in 1958 with the rank of Captain. He continued his education at the Law School. Upon graduating in 1953, he joined Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York, where he worked for six years.
In 1959, Swan joined Bethlehem Steel, then one of Cravath’s larger clients, rising to the position of Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. In 1975, he joined Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation as Vice President, Secretary, and General Counsel until it was acquired. Swan then became the Vice President, Legal, and General Counsel of Burroughs Corporation, where he supervised staff lawyers working in Detroit, London, Paris, and Brazil. He was elected Chairman of the Michigan General Counsel’s Association and represented Burroughs Chairman at meetings of the Detroit Business Roundtable. He was also elected a Limited Partner of the international investment banking firm, Fahnestock & Company.
In 1982, he left for New York City to pursue his interest in financial markets, becoming Chairman and controlling stockholder of American Asset Management, an investment advisory firm, and an asset manager with Cowen & Company. Swan returned to the Lehigh Valley in 1985 and started Flint Hill Management, an investment advisor and money management firm.
Swan helped establish the Institute for Law & Economics at Penn and served on the advisory board from 1984 to 1990. He also served on the board of directors of U.S. Energy Corporation and Nobel Learning Communities and the United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation. Additionally, he served on the boards of several nonprofits and as Central Area Chairman of the Republican Party of Bethlehem. While living in Detroit, he served on the boards of the Detroit Urban League and Michigan Opera Theatre.
Swan also played in bridge tournaments all over the United States. He became a Life Master in 1964, was President of the Lehigh Valley Bridge Association (1967–1968), President of District 4 of the American Contract Bridge League (1999–2000), and First Alternate to the national board of directors of the ACBL (1987–2003).
He had a lifelong interest in theater. While in college, he was on national television with Arlene Francis on the show “Blind Date.” Swan performed in numerous productions in the Lehigh Valley for over 60 years, most recently with the Crowded Kitchen Players, and served as Chairman of The Pennsylvania Playhouse and President of the Municipal Opera Company of Allentown.
Swan was preceded in death by his wife, Donna, whom he married in 1954, and his half-sister, Marise. He is survived by daughters Susan, Amy, Mary, and Louise; eight grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and half-brothers William Swan and William Patterson Jr.
Carl Frahn L’54, who provided Chatham, New Jersey with five decades of legal and community service, died June 8. He was 93.
Frahn graduated from Pompton High in 1947 and attended Rutgers University, where he helped found Gamma Sigma, a nonsectarian, interracial fraternity that is still active today. Following graduation from the Law School at Penn in 1954, he served in the Army for two years and married the love of his life, Marlee Fredericks.
The Frahns settled in Chatham, where Frahn would spend his legal career. Along with his private law practice, he served as municipal prosecutor, attorney for the school district, and 27 years as Chatham Borough attorney. He was counsel for, and a director of, the Chatham Savings and Loan. A member of both the New Jersey State and Morris County Bar associations, Frahn served as a trustee of the county association and as a trustee and president of the Morris County Legal Aid Society.
Frahn served as a lay leader and president of the board of trustees for the Chatham United Methodist Church. He was past president of the Chatham Rotary Club, trustee and chairman of the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts in Madison, New Jersey, and a trustee of Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Marlee, and a sister, Carolyn. Frahn is survived by a sister, Mary Lou; children Joelle, Bill, and Chip; special niece Lora Ann; grandchildren Paul, Carl, Aaron, Corey, Mark, Charles, and Spencer; and great-grandchildren Riley, Brendan, Caitlyn, and Shane.
Robert Hesse L’55, who began his law career in Chicago and became a longtime attorney in Sarasota, Florida, died May 16. He was 93.
Hesse was born in Chicago and grew up in Park Ridge. In 1952, he graduated from Kenyon College and married his high school sweetheart, Pat Rose. The couple moved to Philadelphia, and Hesse graduated from the Law School at Penn in 1955.
The Hesses returned to Chicago, and Hesse joined a long-established law firm and practiced admiralty law for shipping on the Great Lakes. He was also elected to several public offices. In 1970, the Hesse family moved to Florida, where he served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and attorney for the Governor. Later, he joined a law firm in Sarasota that would become Nelson Hesse.
Hesse was preceded in death by his wife, Pat. In 2017, he married Paul Plantenberg and is survived by Paul; his children Sarah, Melissa, and Paul; and eight grandsons and two great-grandsons.
O. Francis “Frank” Biondi L’58, PAR’89, a lifetime Wilmington, Delaware lawyer whose work helped Delaware become a credit banking hub, died May 30. He was 90.
Biondi, the first baby born in Delaware on New Year’s Day in 1933, grew up in Wilmington and attended Salesianum School. He earned degrees from LaSalle College and Boston College before graduating from the Law School at Penn in 1958.
He started his legal career as an associate to well-known attorney Joseph Errigo, and shortly afterward began additional part-time work assisting Wilmington’s City Solicitor, a role he would later assume. A scandal erupted in 1966 when he discovered Errigo mismanaged clients’ funds, and he reported the crime to the police. In a widely publicized fiasco, Biondi’s boss was disbarred and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Biondi and another associate bought the remaining shares of the firm, and, as he led it for more than 10 years, established himself as a top labor lawyer in the state. In 1979, Biondi became a Senior Partner at Morris, Nichols, Arsht and Tunnell.
Following his work as City Solicitor, Delaware Governor Sherman Tribbitt tapped him as co-leader of his transition team in 1973. Biondi continued to work through the governor’s four-year term, including as Vice Chairman of the Delaware Agency to Reduce Crime. Known as a bridge between opposing parties within the city, Biondi helped Tribbitt smooth differences between environmentalists and business leaders following the 1971 Coastal Zone Act. That action led to the creation of the Delaware Tomorrow Commission, which Biondi chaired, to help foster growth in the state. Biondi also worked for the next Governor, Pete du Pont, from 1977 to 1985. The Commission was rebranded as the Intergovernmental Task Force, Biondi co-chaired alongside E. Norman Veasey L’57. The task force, which spawned future similar groups, helped build the foundation for city leaders and lawmakers to enact the Financial Center Development Act.
The Act, passed in 1981, was a project Biondi helped shape in a significant way and attracted about 35 credit card banks to Delaware, which in turn created about 40,000 new jobs and spurred massive economic growth for the state. Chase Manhattan Bank hired Biondi to represent it in the negotiations to move operations to Delaware, and he testified several times in Legislative Hall for the Financial Center Development Act to pass.
From 1974 to 2001, he served as Delaware counsel to the Delaware River and Bay Authority. He was President of the Delaware State Bar Association1984 to 1985 and co-chaired the Commission on Delaware Courts 2000 from 1993 to 1996. He offered pro bono legal counsel to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church from 1958 to 2010, helping support construction of Padua Academy and the Antonian apartments for senior citizens. Biondi was also a director of the Grand Opera House and a trustee of the Wilmington Medical Center.
In 1998, Governor Carper inducted him into the Order of the First State, and in 2016, he received the Josiah Marvel Cup from the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.
Biondi is survived by his wife, Anita; children O. Francis Jr. and Mary Catherine; and grandchildren Serena, Carter, and Joy.
Joseph Damico, Jr. L’58, a devoted family man and longtime Media, attorney in Media, Pennsylvania, died Sept. 7. He was 90.
Upon graduating from Saint James High School in Chester, Pennsylvania, Damico attended Georgetown University and the Law School at Penn. He practiced law at Petrikin, Wellman, Damico, Brown & Petrosa, based in Media, for many years. He also served as the solicitor of Middletown Township for 32 years. He was remembered as a lawyer of unwavering honesty and integrity, and he loved practicing the law so much that he continued to do so until the last few months of his life.
Damico was devoted to his late wife of 57 years, Ann, and they shared a marriage full of love, trust, travel, and fun with family and friends. In addition to spending time with family, Damico also enjoyed hunting, sailing, bicycling, and body surfing in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Damico was preceded in death by his wife, Ann. He is survived by his children, J. Andrew, Mark, David, Susan, and Sarah; and grandchildren Tyler, Raleigh, Westin, Erin, Dixon, Samantha, Luca, Wyeth, Charlotte, Mary Jane, and Molly.
Philip “Phil” Auerbach L’59, a family man who had a 50-year law career in Red Bank, New Jersey, died July 31. He was 90.
Following graduation from Columbia High School in 1950, Auerbach attended Ohio State University, where he played football and won the Ohio state wrestling championship. Upon his graduation in 1954, he refused an officer’s commission in the military and enlisted as a private. A Korean War veteran, Auerbach served two years in the Army.
He received a full scholarship to the Law School at Penn, where he graduated in 1959. For the next five decades, he practiced law in the Red Bank area. He also designed a skills and methods course and taught trial techniques at Rutgers Law School and other universities around the country. Auerbach was a founder of the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey and the Monmouth County Inns of Court. He received many awards for his work in law throughout his career.
Auerbach was devoted to his wife of 61 years, Cynthia. They raised their family in Fair Haven. He cherished his wife, children, and grandchildren. He also loved Ohio State football and the Philadelphia Eagles, along with Oreo cookies, his second home in the Berkshires, talking to strangers, and traveling with friends.
Auerbach is survived by his wife, Cynthia; children Lisa, Jon, and Lauren; grandchildren Lucas, Emilia, Theodora, Tommaso, Isabella, Maria Carolina, Sachie, Ailinn, and Vivi.
Thomas Stapleton L’59, whose legal career spanned the Army, U.S. Department of Justice, MetLife, and private law, died April 22. He was 88.
Stapleton was born in Brooklyn in 1934 to Irish immigrants and graduated from Brooklyn Tech High School and Brooklyn College. Following graduation from the Law School at Penn, he joined the U.S. Army. After basic training and Judge Advocate General school, Stapleton was an Army lawyer for several years. The U.S. Department of Justice hired him in the mid-1960s, and he worked in the Tax Division as an appellate lawyer. He was known to wear his signature seersucker suit in the heat of Washington, D.C., summers.
Stapleton was recruited to MetLife after winning significant cases involving taxation of life insurance companies. He became MetLife’s Tax Director and Senior Vice President, and he created and managed the company’s tax department. He helped draft federal and state tax legislation in the 1980s and also headed the tax committees of numerous life insurance industry groups, at least two of which suspended their term limits so he could remain as leader. He was a frequent speaker on insurance taxation at conferences and testified about the issue before Congress.
After retiring from MetLife, Stapleton became Of Counsel at Davis & Harman. He and his wife moved to Middleburg, Virginia in 1997, and he lived there until he moved to Washington, D.C., in 2021.
His family remembered him for his honesty, integrity, and kindness, and not only his devotion to family but also for his lifelong love of baseball. Stapleton grew up as a huge Brooklyn Dodgers fan, and while Jackie Robinson remained his lifetime hero, he would later transfer allegiance to the New York Yankees.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dagmar, and his sister, Geraldine. Stapleton is survived by his daughter, Viveca, and grandchildren Nora and Thomas.
1960s
Price grew up in Chestnut Hill and graduated from St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire in 1952. He graduated from Harvard University in 1956. For the next two years, he served in the Army Reserve. In 1961, he married Sarah Dolan and earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Price then worked for a few years at his father’s law firm. The Prices had three children and raised their family in Society Hill and Chestnut Hill.
In the 1960s, Price was a public defender in Philadelphia. He served as Director of the Allegheny West Foundation in the 1970s and returned to the organization as Executive Director from 1982 to 1988. He directed neighborhood development projects that increased affordable housing, employment, business growth, and education.
In 1976, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1979 to 1982, Price served as a state senator, representing Chestnut Hill and its surrounding communities in Philadelphia. He was also a commissioner of Fairmount Park and a board member emeritus of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and served on the boards of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia, the Christopher Ludwick Foundation, the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, and the Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation.
Price treasured time with his children and grandchildren and enjoyed family vacations in Maine. He played tennis into his 80s. His family remembered him for his humor, generosity, integrity, and devotion to helping the people of Philadelphia.
Price was preceded in death by a brother and sister. He is survived by his wife, Sarah; children Aly, Emilie, and Philip III; six grandchildren: two sisters; and other relatives.
After graduating from the Wharton School, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1955 and served as a fighter pilot in Georgia, Texas, England, and Germany. He flew F-84 fighter bombers and retired as a Captain. He then earned his law degree at Penn and graduated in 1962.
Haughey practiced law with his firm Brandt, Haughey, Penberthy, Lewis and Hyland for 30 years in southern New Jersey. His practice concentrated on land use, land planning, and environmental law. He was instrumental in the McHarg Report, an environmental plan for Medford Township, which was his longtime residence.
Haughey moved to Ocean City, New Jersey in 1995 and joined the Ocean City Yacht Club. He was an avid sailor, pilot, tennis player, and skier. He and his wife, Patricia, were part owners of The Central Record newspaper from the 1970s through the late 1990s.
Haughey was also a member of the North American f86 Saber Pilots Association; the Burlington County, New Jersey, and American Bar associations; the P.G. Wodehouse Society; the American Legion; the Ocean City Sailing Foundation; and the Greate Bay Country Club.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia; children Michael and Kathryn; and grandchildren Kathryn, Kelly, Charles, Lucas, and Amelia.
William “Bill” Levy W’57, L’64, a former Justice Department attorney, died July 27. He was 87.
Levy was born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and graduated from the Wharton School in 1957 and from the Law School in 1964. He took a job with the Justice Department and lived in Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
Levy was a generous philanthropist and a collector of fine art, particularly of works by impressionist artists. He was remembered as a true gentleman who cared deeply about his beloved friends.
Robert “Bob” Bishop L’65, who served as Head of Upper School and Academic Dean at the Episcopal Academy for 35 years, died May 4. He was 82.
Bishop graduated from Princeton before attending law school at Penn. While serving as a resident advisor in freshman dorms at the University of Pennsylvania when he was a law student, Bishop had a transformative conversation with a professor and mentor, Paul Mishkin. Subsequently, he joined the Peace Corps in Tanzania, where he met his wife, Sally, from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The family returned to the United States in 1971 for graduate work at the Harvard School of Education. On completion of a master’s degree in teaching, Bishop began his tenure at Episcopal Academy. In addition to leading the Upper School and serving administratively, he taught English and was a coach and advisor.
He is remembered by students and colleagues for his deep love of teaching literature, steady leadership, and kind and thoughtful disposition.
Bishop was preceded in death by a brother, John. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Sally; sons Stephen, Sean, and Benjamin; grandchildren John, Margot, Alice, and Violet; and siblings Bailey, Marjorie, and Elaine.
De Luca was a graduate of Lower Merion High School and Haverford College before attending the Law School at Penn. He had a career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He also spent time as a civil and criminal defense attorney at Philadelphia’s Dilworth Paxson and Saul Ewing law firms. He was known for his spirited representation of clients and for his superb preparation, particularly as he espoused the “five P” rule: “Proper planning prevents poor performance.”
Outside of the courtroom, de Luca was known as a Renaissance man. He loved literature and historical nonfiction and had an encyclopedic memory of music, films, and obscure facts. He could surgically filet the many types of fish he caught, carve duck decoys, fix mechanical and electronic devices, repair cars, and bake his famous Thanksgiving cranberry-apple pie. He loved teaching his children and other young people about how things worked. He also enjoyed nature and vacationing in Nantucket.
De Luca was a member of Philadelphia’s First City Troop, Broadacres Fishing Club, Peppercorn Gun Club, and the Cohorts, and he had many friends across the Philadelphia region.
De Luca is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth Swain; children Elizabeth and Robert; grandson Henry; and sister Bonnie.
James “Jim” Jennings L’65, who spent his nearly four-decade legal career at Morgan Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia, died March 5. He was 86.
Jennings grew up in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia and attended Chestnut Hill Academy and was a full-scholarship student at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he graduated in 1955. He attended Princeton University on a ROTC scholarship, and after graduating in 1959, served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He retired in 1962 and enrolled at the Law School at Penn, where he graduated in 1965.
Jennings began his 37-year career at Morgan Lewis & Bockius, where he was a Partner for 32 years in the Business and Finance Department. He took pride in being part of the firm’s leadership and mentored many young lawyers. He developed strong friendships with both colleagues and clients, and he closed countless M&A and mutual fund deals.
In retirement, Jennings and his wife, Helen, spent winters in Tucson, Arizona, where they enjoyed hiking, playing golf, and volunteering in their community. Jennings served on the board of the Radian Group, Inc., The Shipley School, and the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. He supported many organizations and associations — especially those focused on student sports and scholarships. While in Tucson, he volunteered at Sabino Canyon, was a member of the Ventana Canyon Alliance and supported many other local nonprofits.
A natural athlete, Jennings played squash, tennis, and golf. On the golf course, he often shot his age well into his 80s, and shot a birdie on the ninth hole at Gulph Mills Golf Club the last time he played golf in early December. He was also a lifelong, avid fan of Philadelphia sports teams and was an Eagles season ticket holder from 1966. Additionally, Jennings enjoyed Turner Classic movies, the daily New York Times crossword, crime novels and history books, and classical and folk music.
Enamored with his grandchildren, Jennings took every opportunity to spend time with them — whether watching a basketball game or tennis match, riding waves with them in Avalon, New Jersey, zooming around in the golf cart, or sampling freshly baked croissants with strawberry jam. He and Helen, married for 56 years, loved traveling together, and he was remembered for his sharp intellect and was a lifelong learner.
He was preceded in death by sisters Marny and Anne. In addition to Helen, Jennings is survived by children Aldie and Jay, and grandchildren Aaron, Drew, Cooper, Ryann, and Emmett.
Francis “Tim” Tweed, Jr. L’65 a New York City law partner, environmentalist, and family man, died July 8. He was 83.
Tweed was born in Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from Swarthmore College in 1961. Following graduation from the Law School in 1965, he was a Partner at the New York City office of Simpson Thatcher and Bartlett.
Upon his retirement, Tweed focused on environmental issues. He lived in the Washington Valley section of Morris Township and was fiercely committed to protecting its ecological and historic significance. One of his many achievements was preserving the 650+ acre tract in Washington Valley that was slated for a reservoir and is now a part of the Morris County Park System. He was instrumental in preventing the Morris County jail from being built in Washington Valley. He was a Commissioner of the Morris County Park Commission, was on the Morris Township Environmental Committee, on the board of the Great Swamp Watershed Association, and a past President of the Washington Valley Community Association.
Tweed enjoyed reading and had an encyclopedic knowledge of history, liked bird-watching, and just observing nature. He also loved bluegrass music and attended many concerts with his sons. Every year he would spend time on Long Beach Island, surf fishing, listening to the waves, and watching the ocean. He loved baseball and was an avid Yankees fan.
He was a very gentle, caring man and loved his family deeply. He cherished his time with them and the opportunities to provide guidance. He is remembered for his warmth, generosity, kindness, and wisdom.
Tweed is survived by Nancy, his wife of 60 years; his sons, Lawrence and Russell; grandchildren Tanner, Aaron aka Grae, Amanda, Zachary, and Lawson; his two great-granddaughters, Penelope and Phoebe; and sisters, Paula and Lauren.
Roger Goldman L’66, a beloved St. Louis University (SLU) Law School professor and national leader in police reform, died July 29. He was 82.
Goldman was a graduate of John Burroughs School and Harvard University before earning his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966. From 1974 to 1976, he served as President of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri. For more than 40 years, Goldman was a professor at SLU Law School, where he was known for his courses in Constitutional Law. He was named teacher of the year three times and served twice as Associate Dean and once as Interim Dean. In 2017, the school inducted him into the Order of the Fleur de Lis, its highest honor.
Following a police killing of an unarmed man in 1980, Goldman became invested in the concept of “wandering cops,” which refers to officers who commit significant misconduct and are shuffled to different departments instead of facing consequences. He became a champion of police reform across the country, particularly in advocating for police licenses to be revoked after serious misconduct. He was often quoted in The New York Times and other distinguished publications in addition to appearances on PBS News Hour and other programs. Because of his efforts, 10 states adopted police reforms and dozens more bolstered existing laws.
Goldman also co-authored three award-winning books: Thurgood Marshall: Justice for All; William J. Brennan, Jr.: Freedom First; and Federal Criminal Trial Evidence.
In 1984, Goldman was the first President of a synagogue he helped found, called Central Reform Congregation, and in 1991 served as President of Community School.
Goldman was preceded in death by a brother, Alan. He is survived by his wife, Stephanie; sons Josh and Sam; grandchildren Jacob and Lily; and a brother, Tom.
Douglas Hedin L’67, a Minnesota employment attorney and enthusiastic bibliophile, died March 20. He was 81.
He graduated from Red Wing High School in 1960 and earned a political science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1964. While in college, he took part in the voter registration drive in the South for two summers during the civil rights movement.
Following his graduation from the Law School at Penn in 1968, he spent two years in the Army as part of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Heidelberg, Germany. He then spent a year working for the IRS in Washington, D.C., before returning to Minneapolis, where he established an independent firm specializing in employment and discrimination law.
Hedin served on the board of directors of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and founded the statewide NELA chapter in Minnesota. He received the chapter’s inaugural Karla Wahl Award for his longstanding professionalism and expertise in plaintiff employment law. Upon retiring in 2005, Hedin started the Minnesota Legal History Project, an online venue for the publication of his original research into the many unsung lawyers and judges who shaped the legal system in Minnesota in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1986, Hedin married Barbara Steffens, his devoted companion for 37 years. In her honor, he founded the Barbara Steffins Hedin Library at the University of Minnesota Law School. A popular, ever-growing resource for the students and the public, the library contains hundreds of novels whose plots revolve around legal issues.
Hedin, a true bibliophile, loved scouting old bookstores in his travels. He built a personal library that included thousands of hardbound editions that overwhelmed every room of his home. He was remembered as serious but ever amused by human comedy, cultured, and deeply knowledgeable about art, classical music, politics, horticulture, and world literature. His family remembered him for his generous and heartfelt support.
Hedin is survived by his wife, Barbara; siblings Barbara, Thomas, and Robert; and many relatives.
Peter Dodson L’68, a longtime Boston and New York attorney, died March 18. He was 80.
Dodson grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Hopkinton High School in 1960 before attending Wesleyan University. In 1968, he earned his law degree at Penn, where he was editor of the Law Review. Following graduation, he had a formative clerkship with U.S. District Judge Joseph Lord III. Dodson then spent his entire legal career at Ropes & Gray LLP’s Boston and New York City offices from 1970 to 2008. He was remembered as a dedicated and respected colleague, partner, and mentor.
Dodson spent much of his retirement in Vermont, and he was an avid photographer and arts enthusiast, particularly of classical music and Native American and Inuit art. He also loved the outdoors and hiking. Most importantly, he loved spending time with his family, especially reading to his grandchildren.
Dodson was preceded in death by his parents, Lois and Frederick; sister Carol; and his beloved wife Beverly Mae. He is survived by his brother, Bruce; sons Matthew and Jonathan; and grandchildren Winter, Molly, Samuel, and Clara.
Stephen Simpson L’69, an attorney who loved spending time with family and friends, died August 10. He was 78.
Simpson was a graduate of the William Penn Charter School, where he served on the board of overseers for many years, Harvard College, and in 1969, the Law School at Penn. During his years at Harvard, he was a member of the National Championship Harvard Squash Team.
He loved spending summers on Cape Cod with family and friends.
Simpson is survived by his wife of 56 years, Audrey; sons Stephen Jr. and Christopher; and grandchildren Clare, Owen, Hailey, Ruby and Stella.
1970s
Cook attended Dartmouth College and graduated from the Law School at Penn in 1971. He practiced law in Philadelphia and Drexel Hill for 51 years.
He is survived by his wife, Judith; daughters Patience and Lindsay; and grandchildren Jeremy, Eleanor, Lea, and Andrew.
Davidson Gordon LLM’71, a native of Scotland who established his home and legal career in New York, died March 8. He was 78.
After graduating from Fettes College in Edinburgh in 1962, he studied law at Birmingham University, receiving an LLB in 1965, and earned an LLM degree from the Law School at Penn in 1970. He married Hazel Jean Cameron McLaren in 1971, and they went on to have four children.
Gordon’s career included time with Coudert Brothers in New York, Freshfields in London, and American Express in New York. He finished the final two decades of his career working with former colleagues, who had started a boutique law firm that eventually merged into Day Pitney LLP. He retired from the firm in 2019.
Since moving to Rye, New York, in 1978, Gordon served as an active member of the Rye Presbyterian Church, helped run and expand the Rye Youth Intramural Soccer Program, coached his son’s travel soccer teams and served on the Rye School Board of Education for six years. He was particularly proud of his strong support for the successful effort to keep Milton School open in the 1980s.
Relocation to the United States was driven by his desire to provide a better life and opportunities for his family, though his love of Scotland never faded. Throughout his life, he ensured that his family spent a lot of time in the United Kingdom with family and friends. In his final decades, he would spend weeks in the UK attending various reunion events and paying visits to lifelong friends. His children are grateful for the connections that he helped keep strong and the time spent golfing, hiking, and enjoying pints with family on the Isle of Arran.
Gordon was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel. He is survived by his children Lorna Mary, Alexander, Ramsay, and Robert; and grandchildren Oliver, Hazel, Penny, Alistair, and Audrey.
George Isaacson L’73, whose life was devoted to his family, the law, and legal scholarship and who argued before the United States Supreme Court twice, died August 17. He was 74.
A third-generation Mainer, Isaacson attended Edward Little High School, where he was recruited to attend Bowdoin College for his debate skills. While at the Law School at Penn, he met and courted his classmate, Margaret McGaughey-Isaacson L’73, who was one of 12 women in his class. The two were moot-court partners, and they eventually shared a 42-year marriage. Isaacson always considered marrying her the best decision he ever made.
Following his graduation from the Law School in 1973, he served as the first law clerk to Justice Thomas Delahanty of the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. The same year, he joined the Government Department at Bowdoin as an adjunct faculty member. He continued teaching there for the next 50 years, rotating courses on Constitutional Law subjects, and engaging with students during weekly office hours held fireside at the Isaacson home in Brunswick.
In 1976, he joined his cousins’ firm, Brann & Isaacson in Lewiston, Maine. Over the next five decades, he represented and advised clients, including L.L. Bean and the Direct Marketing Association, as a state and local tax lawyer. He wrote extensively in trade journals and testified multiple times before congressional committees about the Commerce Clause, his specialty. He argued before the U.S. Supreme Court twice in landmark state tax cases: in Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl and in South Dakota v. Wayfair.
Isaacson served on numerous boards in Maine, including twice as Chairman of the MaineHealth Board, a member of the Maine Medical Center Board, Chairman of the Bowdoin International Music Festival Board, and Vice Chairman of the Maine Public Board.
He treasured spending time with family, particularly sitting and talking with his children and grandchildren or kayaking and fishing together at the family lake house on Pemaquid Pond. Colleagues remembered him for his brilliance, strategic thinking, and kindness.
Isaacson is survived by his wife, Margaret; children Emily, Abigail, and Nathan; and grandchildren Anna, Levi, Allegra, Eve, Isaac, Eliza, and Molly.
As a young man, Baur enjoyed mountain hiking, including a trek across Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail. As a law student, he interned in 1978 at the National Wildlife Federation, where he worked on a case involving the Platte River in Nebraska. His work contributed to the creation of the Crane Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting the habitat of the endangered whooping crane and millions of other migratory birds. After graduating from the Law School in 1979, Baur became an Honors Program attorney with the National Park Service in the Solicitor’s Office of the Department of the Interior. In 1984, he became General Counsel for the Marine Mammal Commission.
Baur joined the Environment, Energy & Resources (EER) practice at Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C., office in 1987. He was promoted to Partner in 1993 and became a cornerstone of the firm’s environmental practice. Baur was widely respected for his extensive knowledge of environmental issues, and he helped bring Perkins Coie’s EER practice to national prominence. He played a lead role in recruiting and training a generation of environmental lawyers.
He was involved in providing counsel to the Earth Island’s International Marine Mammal Project and the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation, which resulted in getting Keiko, the orca that played the killer whale in the 1993 film “Free Willy,” released to his native Icelandic waters in the late 1990s.
Baur worked on implementation of sea turtle excluder devices in the commercial shrimping industry and also served as counsel to Friends of the Sea Otter for 30 years. He served as legal counsel to the Whale Sanctuary Project, which established coastal sanctuaries for whales and dolphins.
Baur edited and wrote chapters in the first and second editions of the ABA’s Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy treatise, and he also wrote many legal articles related to marine environment and conservation issues. Additionally, he taught an Ocean and Coastal Law course at Vermont Law and Graduate School every summer for 25 years. In the course of his career, he received the Marine Wildlife Conservation Award from the Center for Marine Conservation, the 1872 Award for Service to the National Parks from the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, and the Animal Welfare Advocacy Award from the Pegasus Foundation.
Baur is remembered for his sense of humor, compassion, and zeal for service.
1980s
Dayton grew up in Bozeman, Montana, and earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Montana State University in 1974. He then entered the doctoral program in violin performance at the University of Cincinnati. During a summer break, he worked for Bein & Fushi, one of the world’s premier dealers and restorers of fine stringed instruments. He chose to leave graduate school, continuing full time at Bein & Fushi and relocating with them to Chicago.
After a stint as a headhunter for David J. White & Associates in Chicago, Dayton enrolled at the Law School at Penn and graduated in 1981. He joined a law firm in Rockford, Illinois and took up spelunking and mapping caves in Illinois and surrounding states.
Dayton returned to Montana in 1983 and worked in bonds and securities in Helena. Then he joined Oitzinger & Mullendore in Missoula, which later became Mullendore & Tawney. Dayton and Phil Tawney practiced together at Tawney & Dayton until Tawney became ill with leukemia, passing away at age 45. Dayton kept their Tawney & Dayton law firm sign in his computer room at home as a reminder that life is short and to be treasured.
Dayton joined Worden, Thane, & Haines, now Worden Thane PC, in 1994 and became Partner the next year. His practice focused on a wide range of real estate matters, including purchase and sale transactions, subdivision and development activity, commercial leasing, easement and access issues, survey and boundary disputes, 1031 exchanges, and conservation easements. Dayton was an expert on public road law, presenting statewide continuing legal education seminars on this topic and many others. For 15 years, he led a project to protect the land along the Alberton Gorge, initiating several land exchanges to prohibit development next to the pristine 10-mile whitewater stretch of the Clark Fork River. Work is underway to erect a permanent memorial marker in honor of Dayton in the Alberton Gorge.
Dayton retired in January 2019 and spent much of his retirement outdoors. He was an enthusiastic kayaker, backcountry skier, mountaineer, snowmobiler, hunter, spearfisher, fisherman, bicyclist, hiker, backpacker, and photographer. He explored the public lands, mountains, rivers, and lakes of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, the Yukon, Canada, Mexico, and more. He was remembered as a fun-loving adventurer and mentor to many who was intelligent, sincere, kind, and funny.
He was a member of the State Bar of Montana and Western Montana Bar Association; the Missoula Symphony; Rocky Mountaineers; Missoula Whitewater Association; Missoula Adventure Crew; Northwest Kayak Anglers; and numerous other groups. He served on the board of directors of the Missoula Whitewater Association and the Missoula Symphony Association.
Dayton is survived by his wife of 36 years, Colleen; siblings Barry, Melissa, Andrew, and Beth; 12 nieces and nephews; and several relatives and friends.
1990s
Goodman served as an Assistant Public Defender for the 19th Judicial Circuit from October 2001 to April 2010. He then took a position as a Senior Attorney for the State of Florida until September 2019, when he opened Goodman Law. Goodman was a resident of Delray Beach.
He was preceded in death by his father, Robert. Goodman is survived by his children, Mason, Gillian, and Nora; his mother, Faga; and brothers Howard and Daniel.
Thomas “Tom” Wallerstein L’99, a longtime trial attorney and nature enthusiast, died June 16. He was 55.
Wallerstein was born the seventh of eight children and attended St. Patrick of Heatherdowns School and St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo, Ohio. Following his graduation from the Law School in 1999, he clerked for the Honorable Peter Verniero of the New Jersey Supreme Court and then joined Hangley Aronchik in Philadelphia. In 2003, he moved to California and joined Quinn Emanuel in Silicon Valley. He then helped open Venable’s first San Francisco office and became a well-known partner there for more than 10 years. He earned the admiration and respect of his colleagues, clients, and the legal community for his brilliance in the courtroom. He leaves behind a legacy of exceptional courtroom wins.
Wallerstein also treasured the beauty of nature. Each weekend, he would venture into Golden Gate Park, whether to play tennis, hike through the Redwood Grove with his children, or just seek a connection with the Earth. He also loved biking and kayaking; he especially enjoyed kayaking with his family on the Russian River and walking along Fort Funston, hoping to watch the hang gliders fly overhead. Wallerstein was also an avid fan of the Grateful Dead and attended many concerts over the years.
He is remembered for his compassion and warmth, particularly in making even strangers feel like lifelong friends and extending a helping hand to anyone who crossed his path.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ladislao and Elaine, and brothers Richard and David. He is survived by his loving wife, Cassandra, and their children, Matthew and Alexandra. He is also survived by his siblings, Ernest, Stephen, Jerome, Rose, and Carol, and many nieces and nephews.
2000s
Ehrenwerth was a graduate of Colby College and held an MA in philosophy, politics, and economics from Brasenose College at the University of Oxford in addition to his law degree from Penn.
In 2011, he joined President Barack Obama’s legal team, including a role as Assistant Counsel to the President, where he led litigation for the federal government following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He also served as a member of the Oversight and Litigation group representing the White House in Congressional investigations and advising federal agencies on oversight matters. Ehrenwerth returned to the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2012 as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary, and he assisted in overseeing issues of policy, budgeting, and strategic planning. He also focused on matters impacting NOAA, including complex regulatory and management challenges.
Ehrenwerth additionally served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, which was formed following Deepwater Horizon. The Council was charged with using billions of dollars in penalties to restore the Gulf Coast’s economy and environment and adapt in the face of climate change. Ehrenwerth successfully established the Council as an independent federal agency and oversaw all aspects of its programmatic, technical, and operational activities.
In January 2017, he was named the second President and CEO of the Louisiana-based Water Institute and led the organization until his death. The independent, nonprofit research organization works to advance science and develop integrated methods to solve complex environmental and societal challenges. He was remembered for inspiring and compassionate leadership by colleagues, who noted that acts of kindness — like delivering soup to a sick team member and his children — were standard practice for him.
Ehrenwerth is survived by by his wife, Dana, and young sons Charles and Louis.