eon “Lee” Holt, Jr. L’51, a well-traveled international businessman in the postwar period who foresaw the coming era of globalization and translated his experience into a renowned lecture series at the Law School, died on Sept. 13. He was 95.
He created the Holt Program in International Trade Law in 2007, the centerpiece of which was the Leon C. & June W. Holt Lecture in International Trade. The lectures brought a distinguished roster of speakers to campus — including the first black woman in a senior legal position at the World Bank and the former President of Mexico — and reflected Holt’s belief that students and young lawyers must become fluent in other legal cultures and gain a better understanding of the forces reshaping the world of law and the world at large.
Rangita De Silva-De Alwis, Adjunct Professor of Global Leadership at the Law School, said the Holt Lecture, for which she has in recent years convened prominent speakers, said the lecture series has put the Law School “at the epicenter of the world, emphasizing the importance of trade relations in a new world order.”
The lectures also gave rise, she noted, to the Penn Law Policy Lab, an incubator designed to increase the representation of women in leadership. The Lab is a product of collaboration with Sandie Okoro, a former Holt speaker who is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the World Bank Group.
“It is this kind of cross-pollination that plays to our strengths and benefits our pedagogical program,” said Ted Ruger, Dean of the Law School. “We are forever grateful to Lee Holt for his engagement in the life of the Law School. He will be remembered for his humility, his intellect, his energy and his abiding interest in the future of students who came after him.”
The lecture series punctuated Holt’s years of service to the Law School. He served on the Board of Advisors from 1985 to 1994 and as an original board member provided guidance and financial support to the Institute for Law and Economics in its formative stage.
“Lee was always a source of good advice. He taught me much of the art and science of fundraising, which was entirely new to me when I was put in the role of raising funds to support ILE,” said Michael Wachter, former William B. and Mary Barb Johnson Professor of Law and Economics and Co-Director of ILE. “Lee was a wonderful man, friend of Penn Law and ILE, and a personal friend. He will be greatly missed.”
A beaming Lee Holt, Jr. L’51 hands a Penn Law diploma to his grandson, Michael Weil L’12.
A World War II veteran, Holt served in the Navy as a navigator and radar officer on a troop transport in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He graduated from Lehigh University in 1948, earning a degree in materials science and engineering. Before his senior year, he married June W. Holt. In 1951, he graduated from the Law School, where his classmate, Judge Harold Berger EE’48, L’51, said they formed a bond as the only engineers in the class.
“He was very bright and always a perfect gentleman,” said Judge Berger, Of Counsel & Managing Partner Emeritus at Berger Montague and Chair of the Law School’s Friends of Biddle Law Library. “He was always exceedingly loyal to the Law School.”
Following his graduation from law school, Holt practiced law with the Wall Street firm of Mudge, Stern, Williams & Tucker and then at American Oil Co. In 1957, he accepted a position at Air Products & Chemicals as an engineer/lawyer, and he and his wife settled in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania to raise their family. Steadily rising through the ranks, Holt retired as Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer of Air Products in 1990. He also served as Chairman of the Air Products Foundation and a Director of the VF Corporation.
Holt’s tenure at Air Products fueled his desire to create the Holt Lecture. Holt joined the company shortly after the start of the Cold War, during which Air roducts supplied the Defense Department and NASA with liquid hydrogen missile fuels. Charged with the mission to build lasting partnerships across the globe, Holt expanded the business into Europe, Africa, and Asia, living abroad for several years. He witnessed the postwar melding of cultures, the bridging of continents through air travel, and the growing importance of international trade — all of which later served as an impetus for the Holt Lecture.
His grandson, Michael Weil L’12, attended several lectures. He said his grandfather was a Penn Law booster for as long as he can remember. “I was getting Penn Law tee shirts, hats and stuff like that since I was 5 years old,” said Weill, In-House Counsel for Entercom Communications Corporation, the second largest radio station company in the United States.
When he expressed interest in law school, Weil said, his grandfather encouraged him to consider Penn. “He started sending me a million articles on Penn Law and how he enjoyed his time (there).”
Despite his success, Holt was a down-to-earth guy content to spend his retirement in his beloved Lehigh Valley and go fly fishing at his getaway in the Poconos. He made a large imprint on civic affairs, establishing the Holt Family Foundation in 1988 and the Holt Family Endowed International Internship Fund at Lehigh University. Among his many other affiliations, he helped transform the small local Lehigh Valley Hospital into the modern regional Lehigh Valley Health Network that it is today.
Weil said his grandfather lived life to the fullest. “He was one of those rare people who absolutely loved his job. He absolutely loved everything he did.”
Survivors include children Deborah Holt Weil and Richard Weidner Holt; grandchildren Michael Holt Weil L’12 (Greta Richter), Stephen Holt Weil, James Richard Holt, Emily Nicole Holt, and Olivia Leigh Holt; great-grandchildren Holt Richter Weil and Ryan Hollis Weil. He was predeceased by June W. Holt, his loving wife of 70 years, and a baby granddaughter, Leigh Nicole Holt.
Nathaniel Barbera L’53, a sole practitioner for nearly 70 years, died March 10. He was 91.
After graduating from Catholic University of America and Penn Law, Mr. Barbera founded the Barbera Law Firm. He was an accomplished trial lawyer and the Past President and member of the Somerset County Bar Association.
He was also a devoted parishioner of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, longtime member and supporter of the Somerset Rotary Club, past board member and Chairman of Somerset Community Hospital, and one of the founders of the Somerset County 4-H Development Fund. He was always committed to making life better for his family, friends and community. Mr. Barbera loved sharing family experiences of fishing, hunting, playing accordion and piano, in addition to spending time at the lake with his beloved children and grandchildren.
Mr. Barbera was the devoted husband of the late Anne Repetti Barbera, who preceded him in death in 2016 after 64 years of marriage. He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Virginia and Josephine.
He is survived by his brother, John; children Jeanne, Joseph, Eileen, Vincent and Theresa; many dear nieces and nephews; 30 great-grandchildren; and several more relatives. Special thanks to his longtime friends and caregivers, Carol Stoy and Margaret DeWitt.
George Stewart III L’54, a Philadelphia lawyer, died July 30. He was 91.
Mr. Stewart was a graduate of Princeton University, Penn Law and a parishioner at St. Clement’s Anglican Catholic Church. Upon his retirement at age 81, the Philadelphia Bar Association cited him “in recognition of 50 years of distinguished service,” and he received an award from the City Council of Philadelphia for his decades of work for the blind.
Mr. Stewart belonged to the Orpheus Club, The Athenaeum, and the Franklin Inn. He was also a lifelong sports car and classical music enthusiast. He was remembered as a good, kind and loving man.
Mr. Stewart is survived by his wife, Mary Conway, and sons George and Edward.
David Kaufman L’55, a lifelong member of Wolf, Block, Schorr, and Solis Cohen who served as Managing Partner of the law firm, died May 26. He was 89.
Mr. Kaufman was born in Harrisburg, Pa. He graduated cum laude from Franklin and Marshall College in 1952 with a B.S. in economics. Following college, he graduated cum laude from Penn Law in 1955, where he served as Note Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and was honored by the Order of the Coif.
After service in the U.S Army, Mr. Kaufman joined the law firm of Wolf, Block, Schorr, and Solis Cohen, where he served as Chair of the Estates Department and Managing Partner of the firm. He was actively involved with both the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations, serving as Chairman of the Probate and Trust Section with each association.
Mr. Kaufman was a dedicated and deeply respected leader in his community. He served for many years as a Trustee and Board Chairman of Abington Hospital. He also had a long and distinguished career at Rodeph Shalom synagogue, serving as a Trustee from 1967 to 1969, Secretary from 1969 to 1973 and as Vice President from 1973 until becoming President in 1983.
Mr. Kaufman was involved in many other charitable activities as well, including service as President of Jewish Community Chaplaincy Service and a board member of the National Federation of Temple Brotherhoods and the Jewish Chautauqua Society. He was active in the Federation Allied Jewish Appeal and a recipient of The Myer and Rosaline Feinstein Award. He was a Trustee of the Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
As dedicated as Mr. Kaufman was to his profession and to his community, nothing exceeded his love of his family. David and his wife Ginger shared a joyous and love-filled marriage for more than 50 years. They owned a vacation house in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where their children and grandchildren would frequently visit. They traveled extensively together, spending weekends in New York, visiting their children and grandchildren in Baltimore and California, summering in Maine, wintering in Florida and making many visits to their favorite destination overseas, London. Mr. Kaufman will be remembered as a much-beloved husband, father and grandfather, and the family hopes that David and Ginger’s friends will fondly remember the joyful times they shared.
Mr. Kaufman was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia (Ginger) in 2014, and he is survived by his sons David Jr. and James, their wives and his three grandchildren.
George Miller L’56, a respected lawyer and judge, died on May 26 from complications of COVID-19. He was 89.
Mr. Miller was born in Bradford, Pa., and graduated from the Law School in 1956. He served three years in the Army, working in the Judge Advocate Corps and rising to the rank of Captain.
He was an Associate and later a Partner with Philadelphia law firm Dechert LLP from 1958 to 1995, where he embraced environmental law and recognized that technology would be an important tool.
His daughter, Kate, said her father bought early personal computers in the 1970s and kept his foot on the technology pedal throughout his life. Gov. Tom Ridge appointed him as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board in 1995, and Mr. Miller served until 2009.
“Judge Miller continued a tradition of scholarship and successfully led the board in establishing its website and electronic docketing system,” Chairman and Chief Judge Thomas Renwand said. “This achievement alone greatly modernized the practice of environmental law in Pennsylvania.”
In addition to his daughters, Kate and Meg Miller Derrick, Mr. Miller is survived by son Jonathan; former wife Ann Wall Richards; and five grandchildren. He was predeceased by wife Louise and son Paul. Kate Miller is a geophysics professor at the University of Wyoming and former Dean of the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M, where she established a scholarship in her father’s name.
Howard Glassman L’58, PAR’84, who practiced bankruptcy law in Philadelphia, died on May 30. He was 86.
Before attending Penn Law, Mr. Glassman earned his undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University. He eventually became Partner at Blank Rome and specialized in bankruptcy law.
Mr. Glassman is survived by wife Eta; daughters Sharon and Beth; sisters Arlene and Judy; and grandchildren Nicole and Aaron.
Philip Osborne L’58, a nationally renowned tax attorney for family-held businesses, died April 16.
Born in 1933 in Philadelphia, Mr. Osborne attended Friends Central School, followed by Swarthmore College. Although not born a Quaker, the Society of Friends had a big influence on him, and he considered himself a fellow traveler. After Swarthmore, Philip attended the Law School and served as an Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. He traveled all over the country in his work as a tax attorney and enjoyed many of the people he met.
Mr. Osborne was a lifelong lover of the arts and was a highly accomplished photographer himself. His preferred subject matter, besides his family and the area around Manchester-By-the-Sea, Mass., were shopping malls, commercial roadsides, parking lots and gas stations, things he saw plenty of during his travels. He described his work as “mainly background pictures. They show places you might pass by or through to get to where you want to be.”
Most of all he loved his family, whom he described as the light of his life. He encouraged all of them to do what they loved to do. After retiring, he enjoyed traveling with his wife, Linda, and friends throughout Europe, and by himself annually to Las Vegas and Daytona for Bike Week. He will be loved and remembered by his family and friends.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Anne Caroline. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Linda; sons Charles and Andrew; grandchildren Catherine, Gabriel and Morgan; and Georgie the Westie, the beloved family dog. Mr. Osborne also leaves his sister, the artist Elizabeth Osborne, and brother-in-law Judge Ronald Wertheim of Philadelphia; and niece Audrey.
David Auten C’60, L’63, former Managing Partner of the Philadelphia office of Reed Smith LLP and Emeritus Member of the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees, died on May 9. He was 82.
Mr. Auten was an accomplished lawyer who practiced for 50 years. He served as the Managing Partner of the Philadelphia Office of Reed Smith LLP for 16 years. He was listed in publications honoring his legal acumen, including Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who in the World, and Philadelphia Leaders, and he was a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Born in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, Mr. Auten was a lifelong Philadelphian. He attended Frankford High School and earned both his undergraduate and law degrees with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. At the Law School, he served as the Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.
Mr. Auten was a Philadelphia icon and the quintessential Philadelphia gentleman. He was known for his intellectual acumen, his quiet dignity and grace, his respect for all points of view, his generosity, his warmth and kindness, his wonderful sense of humor and his selfless service to others.
Mr. Auten combined the best parts of an old soul with a voracious interest in life, all things Philadelphia, travel, history, books, the world around him and, of course, Breyer’s vanilla ice cream. Mr. Auten was known for his fashion sense, which usually involved some combination of red and blue — the colors of his beloved alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania — one of his famous ties and one of his funny pairs of socks. There is no holiday for which Mr. Auten did not have multiple memorable tie and sock variations. He was the life of the party, always ready with a corny joke. Mr. Auten also loved to travel, and the family went on many cross-country road trips in the family station wagon, eventually making it to every one of the fifty states.
In addition to his distinguished legal career, Mr. Auten was a devoted community man. Mr. Auten was a committed alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, serving with distinction in many roles over many years, including on the Board of Trustees, as the President of the General Alumni Society, on the Board of Advisors of The College of The Arts and Sciences, on the Board of Trustees of the Penn Health System and as Chairman of the board of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
Mr. Auten also served as President of the Union League of Philadelphia, one of his great loves. You could often find him at one of his club tables enjoying The League’s famous snapper soup, rice pudding and fish house punch. The League remained an integral and beloved part of his life to the end.
Other great loves included Christ Church of Philadelphia, where he served as Chair of the Vestry and Rector’s Warden; Theta Xi National Fraternity, where he served as President; St. Peter’s School, where he served as Chair of the Board of Trustees (where his youngest daughter, Meredith, also currently serves on the board) and countless other organizations throughout Philadelphia.
Mr. Auten has been honored countless times over the years for his extraordinary and selfless service to so many organizations. He was the recipient of the Penn Alumni Award of Merit, the inaugural Penn Presbyterian Hospital Hero Award, The Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Philadelphia Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was one of the first inductees of The Parkinson Council Dan Aaron Hall of Fame.
Mr. Auten is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Suzanne Crozier Plowman; his daughters Anne Crozier Auten C’92 and Meredith Smedley Auten C’96, L’99; grandchildren James, Bridget and Katherine’ and brother Donald Robert Auten C’68, L’71.
Peter Ryan L’63, an attorney who argued before the US Supreme Court, died March 24. He was 82.
Mr. Ryan was born in Stamford, Conn., and graduated from Seton Hall University before attending Penn Law. He specialized in commercial litigation.
Mr. Ryan was a devout Catholic and an active member of St. Leo’s Parish in Stamford, where he was a long-time volunteer. He also volunteered with Liberation Programs and its predecessor, Liberation House, in Stamford and served on its board of directors.
His family remembered him for his principles, spirituality, work ethic and commitment to his family and legal clients. In a recent Christmas letter, Mr. Ryan shared a story from German theologian Johannes Tauler that includes a line that resonates now: “I receive from God with joy all that he wills for me, be it sweet or bitter.”
In 2002, he was predeceased by his wife, Barbara, to whom he was devoted. He is also preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and two sisters.
Mr. Ryan is survived by sons Peter and Douglas; siblings Shelagh Ann and David; and grandchildren Peter, Charles, Emmet and Ella.
Elliot Klein L’66, co-draftsman of the Pennsylvania Securities Act of 1972, died on April 8 at the age of 78.
Mr. Klein served as Assistant Counsel and then Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Securities Commission for many years.
He graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia and holds degrees from Dickinson College and Penn Law.
Mr. Klein had a wonderful sense of humor and a very positive outlook on life despite a series of illnesses and disabilities. He loved the casino, fishing, and playing tennis.
He is survived by loving family and friends.
Norris Gelman L’67, a criminal defense lawyer who represented some of the Philadelphia region’s most infamous defendants, died May 24. He was 77.
For decades, Mr. Gelman was a high-profile figure in his field and the cases he handled were no less so.
His clients included Philadelphia mobsters Nicky Scarfo Sr. and Nicky Scarfo Jr.; Ira Einhorn, the new-age intellectual who killed his ex-girlfriend in West Philadelphia; and Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State coach serving decades in prison as a serial childsex predator.
An expert in the state’s death-penalty law, Mr. Gelman was often called to testify in court.
Over his career, he helped win reversals in sentences for 10 death-row clients and set many legal precedents. He wrote and lectured widely on the topic.
“Everybody recognized he was the best criminal appeals lawyer in Pennsylvania,” said Philadelphia lawyer and friend Dennis Cogan.
Despite his prominence, Mr. Gelman never bragged about winning. He wasn’t flashy in court. He used humor and superior knowledge to win his cases.
Born in the Oak Lane section of Philadelphia, Mr. Gelman graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1964 and Penn Law in 1967.
He never officially retired. “Despite the fact that he talked about it on various occasions, he didn’t,” said lawyer and office mate Jeremy Gelb. “Then, when COVID-19 got to a certain stage, we implored him to stay home and take care of himself, and he did.”
Known to friends as “Norrie,” Mr. Gelman began his legal career in 1967 as an assistant under Philadelphia District Attorney Arlen Specter. It was there, in the early 1970s, that Mr. Gelman met Cogan and became his mentor.
“He began to develop in the DA’s Office very quickly,” Cogan said. “He was open to teaching me the ins and outs of the criminal law in Pennsylvania. He never pontificated. A brief conversation with Norrie was a teaching session. He never took himself too seriously.”
In 1974, Mr. Gelman left the DA’s Office and became a defense lawyer. Among his notorious clients were John du Pont, the chemical company heir who shot and killed wrestler Dave Schultz at du Pont’s estate in Newtown Square in 1996. After du Pont was convicted, Mr. Gelman worked with Alan Dershowitz on an appeal, but du Pont died in prison in 2010.
According to friends, Mr. Gelman was well-read, and loved opera, classical music, and jazz.
His daughter, Maya Cheek, said he was loved by his family and will be missed. “He was just everything to us. He was a bigger-than-life character,” she said.
In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carole Calbazana Gelman; a son, Michael Calbazana; and four grandchildren. A sister died earlier.
Mark Frankel W’67, L’70, PAR’96, PAR’00, regarded as an icon in the local auto retail industry, died July 21. He was 76.
Following his graduation from the Law School in 1970, Mr. Frankel practiced law for a few years before heading his family’s auto parts business. He later became a Chevrolet and Buick dealer, as well as a partner at Main Line Infiniti. He served on the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia Board of Directors for many years and was President from 1992 to 1993. Mr. Frankel was also a former President of the Delaware Valley Chevrolet Ad Group, and he served as a Lieutenant in the Navy JAG Corps for four years.
Mr. Frankel loved building accurate flying scale models of real airplanes, and he received several industry accolades for his work. He was also remembered for how much he loved his family, especially his wife, Jill, who preceded him in death in 2010.
Mr. Frankel is survived by children Andrew and Erika; brother Richard; and granddaughter Lillian.
David Phillips L’71, a world-renowned heraldry scholar who was also a lawyer and author, died on March 26 in San Francisco of a confluence of health issues. He was 75.
Mr. Phillips grew up in Manhattan, where he attended Collegiate School and graduated from the Walden School. He came to Penn Law from Columbia, where he had received his undergraduate degree.
After graduation from law school, Mr. Phillips briefly practiced law in San Francisco with famed criminal defense attorney Michael Kennedy. Deciding at this juncture in his life that law practice was not for him, he returned to Columbia to obtain a master’s degree in library science.
Not long after he became the librarian for the San Francisco firm of Farella Braun + Martell, the partners recognized his extraordinary talent and intellect and offered him a position as a lawyer. He rejected the offer, but later agreed to serve on a part-time basis, largely helping the firm with articles and speeches and occasional special research projects. The only cases he actually handled directly were pro bono death penalty matters. He continued that work for the rest of his life and stayed in touch with his clients by phone (at his expense) long after their litigation was over.
Mr. Phillips’ arrangement with the firm gave him time to continue his lifelong study of heraldry and vexillology (study of flags). He became one of the leading international scholars in these fields. His interest in flags and coats of arms dated from earliest childhood. At his home in San Francisco, he assembled one of America’s leading collections of heraldry books, atlases and first-day covers as part of a vast library that ranged from typography and design to specialized dictionaries. He was a Trustee of the Flag Heritage Foundation in America and was one of only two writers to be “craft” members of the Society of Heraldic Arts in Britain.
His books included Emblems of the Indian States (2011) and The Double Eagle (2014), both published by the Flag Heritage Foundation. He was also editor of and lead contributor to Japanese Heraldry and Heraldic Flags (2018).
At the time of his death he had completed the manuscript and design for a book about the heraldic work of the Polish-born artist Arthur Szyk. Most recently, he was the editor and compiler of Psychedelic Refugee, the memoirs of Rosemary Woodruff Leary (Timothy Leary’s wife), to be published next winter by Inner Traditions. (Some of Mr. Phillips’ earliest legal work was on Timothy Leary’s defense, with the San Francisco law firm of Kennedy & Rhine.)
Mr. Phillips’ writing led beyond scholarship — to poetry, children’s stories, travelogues, essays, biography, and autobiography. Other byways in his life included being a law librarian at the Washington firm of Cohen & Uretz (1974–5), a radio and television broadcaster on Cape Cod, and an English teacher in Taiwan.
In his later years, Mr. Phillips turned a whimsical series of essays for his niece into a children’s book, which was at the time of his death being considered by a New York agent.
Mr. Phillips wrote an autobiography, a chapter of which chronicles his Law School experience from 1968 to 1971. He remained a close friend of his former Law School professor Bernard G. Segal until Mr. Segal’s death, in 1997. The autobiography is posted on Mr. Phillips’ website, Radbash.com.
Mr. Phillips is survived by two brothers, a sister, a nephew and a niece. The best family contact is his brother Christopher Phillips (antlersnyc@yahoo.com).
Learning of Mr. Phillips’ death, one of his friends remarked, “David won, hands down, the Reader’s Digest Magazine World’s Most Interesting Person award.”
Thomas Pinansky L’85, an international attorney, died April 8. He was 61.
Mr. Pinansky was born in Portland, Maine, and graduated from Cape Elizabeth High School, where he played varsity tennis. He was the lead tennis instructor for the Harvard Recreational Department and earned his undergraduate degree from the school magna cum laude in 1981. Before attending law school, he was the head tennis professional at Eastpointe Country Club in Florida. Upon graduating from the Law School in 1985, he became a third-generation attorney in his family.
After practicing law in Texas and Washington, D.C., Mr. Pinansky and his late wife, Roxanne, moved to Seoul, South Korea, where he embarked on a three-decade career as an international business attorney. He was a Partner at Barun Law in Seoul and served as Of Counsel at Preti Flaherty Beliveau and Pachios, LLP in Portland. He focused on assisting Korean clients in navigating the US legal system.
In a letter to his family, Harry B. Harris, Jr., the current US Ambassador to South Korea, wrote: “He was known … as a man of passion, integrity, and zest for life. He demonstrated the best traits of a U.S. citizen abroad. … While in his role (as a member of the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Commerce) … he selflessly promoted rule of law in South Korea. … His stellar reputation was such the U.S. Embassy relied on him … for many years.”
Mr. Pinansky also served on the boards of several global companies and was a member of international legal organizations. He was most recently an arbitrator for many international business disputes, serving on the board of directors of ALFA International, a global network consisting of 150 independent law firms that includes 80 US law firms and 70 member firms from other countries.
He loved his home in Cape Elizabeth and the state of Maine. Most of all, he loved his family and making friends worldwide.
Mr. Pinansky is preceded in death by his wife of 25 years, Roxanne; father William; and brother Richard. He is survived by his wife, Eun Jung; son Barton; mother Suzanne; and brothers I. Victor and David.
Matthew Melone L’93, certified public accountant, tax attorney and longtime professor at Lehigh University, died July 7. He was 61.
Mr. Melone attended Villanova University for a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master of taxation from its law school. He received the Alexander E. Loeb Award for the highest score on his certified public accountant (CPA) exam in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
He began his career as a CPA at Ernst and Whinney, the precursor to Ernst and Young. He later served as the Controller for the real estate developer and property manager, Kravco Company. Mr. Melone left Kravco and started his own CPA practice, but he left private practice to attend Penn Law, where in 1993 he graduated first in his class. While he was offered a position at a prestigious law firm, he instead pursued an academic career at Lehigh University.
His research interests centered on federal income taxation and corporate governance. At Lehigh, he taught Legal Environment of Business, a core requirement, and Business Law and Regulatory Environment of Business in the MS in Management Program. He also served as the course coordinator for Value-Based Decision-Making, a core requirement that focuses on ethical issues in business. He wrote extensively about constitutional law, comparative forms of doing business, executive compensation, partnership taxation, accounting standards and corporate political activity.
Mr. Melone received the Class of 1961 Professorship, which honors Lehigh faculty for outstanding contributions to teaching, scholarship and service. In 2020, students voted to honor him with the MS in Management Teach of Excellence award. Mr. Melone was beloved and admired by his colleagues and students.
He was remembered by fellow academics for his dignity, enthusiasm, kindness and sense of humor. He was also remembered for his immense intelligence and his encyclopedic knowledge of professional and college sports.
Mr. Melone is survived by his wife, Annamarie; children Kevin and Mary Kaye; brother Anthony; and his English Bulldog, Nacho.
Sarah Pitts L’12, a Brooklyn Senior Assistant District Attorney who was described as “a shining star,” died September 7 following a bicycle accident in Brooklyn. She was 35.
“She was a brilliant and compassionate lawyer dedicated to seeking justice,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a statement. “We are overwhelmed by this sudden loss.”
She joined the District Attorney’s office in 2018 after reading about Gonzalez’s commitment to post-conviction justice work. Assigned to the office’s Post-Conviction Justice Bureau, she reviewed parole applications to determine those the office should support. She also worked in the office’s Appeals Bureau, where she handled a full docket of appeals cases.
Ms. Pitts earned an undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Trinity College before attending the Law School. During her years at the Law School, she was the Associate Editor of the Journal of International Law, a member of the Homeless Advocacy Project and a participant in the National Trial Competition. Ms. Pitts also interned for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office in Pennsylvania and with the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Following her graduation in 2012, she worked at the Military Assistance Project in Philadelphia as Legal Clinic Director and Attorney. At the nonprofit, Ms. Pitts helped approximately 500 veterans address various financial issues, generally in consumer debt and bankruptcy cases. She once assisted a veteran in getting his student loans completely forgiven.
She also provided counsel at the Veterans Multiservice Centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and created a pro bono project in collaboration with the Law School. As project director, she trained more than 30 students and attorneys in seven states.
Ms. Pitts was also a trusted volunteer with Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, once springing out of bed at 3:30 a.m. to get coffee with someone who was suicidal. Through the organization, she interacted with hundreds of law students and attorneys and undoubtedly helped save lives.
From 2016 to 2018, Ms. Pitts clerked for Judge Alice Dubow, a Superior Court of Pennsylvania judge whose team reviews appeals from trial courts. Upon joining the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, she became what Tali Farhadian Weinstein, former General Counsel to the DA’s office, called the “beating heart” of the Post-Conviction Justice Bureau. Ms. Pitts was known to frequently meet with incarcerated parole applicants to better understand their stories.
During the COVID-19 crisis, Ms. Pitts volunteered to handle urgent office matters so that administrative staff had some help. She was remembered for her generosity, empathy, resilience, intelligence and especially for her razor-sharp wit.
“She was brilliant and thoughtful and compassionate,” Jill Harris, the DA’s office chief of policy and strategy told the New York Law Journal. “We have lost a shining star.”