Herman Kaufman passed away on May 20. He was born on November 7th, 1942 in Elizabeth, NJ, the oldest son of Geraldine and Louis (Buddy) Kaufman.
He was predeceased by his brother, Arthur; and his son, Mark. He is survived by his wife, Diane; his daughter, Alexandra (Zan); his brother, David; his daughter-in-law, Chloe; and his grandchildren, Otto and Leonora (Charlie).
Herman was an independent thinker with a sharp legal mind. He attended the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate, getting his Bachelor of Arts in Economics, History, and Philosophy. He then attended law school at the University of Michigan and graduated with honors.
Herman put his intellectual brilliance to work as an appellate lawyer. He was appointed to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office fresh out of law school. Later, he was a professor with Washington & Lee University School of Law and then he founded Litman, Friedman, & Kaufman. In more recent years, he worked as a sole practitioner handling a variety of often complex appeals cases. As a lawyer, he felt a great sense of responsibility to his clients; he was repeatedly able to achieve favorable outcomes for them with his characteristically aggressive representation style and his deep knowledge of the appellate process.
Herman was a loving and supportive father. He took great pleasure in his children’s passions for (and prowess in) sports. He was always quick into the backyard to have a catch and he spent years taking Zan and Mark to the batting cages to hone their skills. He coached Mark’s baseball team in the early years. When Mark’s hockey career became more serious, he traveled far and wide to support him, from Connecticut to Canada. He could also be found keeping Zan company in goal at Greenwich High School field hockey games. Herman’s support and encouragement for his children was effortless and they always knew that he always had their backs. He made them feel like anything was achievable and he filled them with great confidence.
Herman was passionate about all pursuits he took on, including his hobbies. He had a deep love of baseball. He knew everything there was to know and often talked about his favorite team, the New York Giants, whom he eventually grew to hate once they moved to San Francisco. He was not only on top of baseball history but the present day game as well. He supported the A’s, Angels, Indians, basically anyone who could beat the Yankees. He was a great lover of music, especially jazz, and he remembers seeing some of the greats of the twentieth century in the jazz clubs of New York. He also had a lifelong interest in politics and was always willing to share his thoughts on the latest political developments.
Herman was truly a unique character. He had a gift for accepting people as they were and people felt free to be themselves around him. He was also very entertaining and could command the attention of a room. He will be greatly missed. Arrangements are entrusted to Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home. www.leopgallagherstamford.com
