Page 118 - ACTL Journal Win24

Reuben William Peterson Jr., ’82, passed away on April 2, 2023 at the age of ninety-seven, survived by his wife of sixty-five years, Patricia Hoffman Peterson, five children and fourteen grandchildren. Reuben was an avid curler, a world traveler, a rose gardener, and an active member of his community.
David H. Pittinsky, ’17, died suddenly on September 30, 2023 at the age of eighty-one. Slim and tall with ramrod posture and close-cropped hair, David favored bespoke suits in traditional dark colors and cultivated the image of a “Philadelphia lawyer.” Outside of work, David lived a big life, reveling in lavish travel, fine wine, and other pleasures that marked his rise from humble beginnings to the top of the legal profession. His wide range of clients included Frank Sinatra, who had made the mistake of docking his yacht in New Jersey and was slapped with a subpoena by feds interested in dis- cussing mob connections. David negotiated a mid-trial
settlement for the Philadelphia Orchestra in its multi- million-dollar claim against The Walt Disney Company over royalties from the movie Fantasia. On behalf of a dozen predominantly Black municipalities in St. Louis County, Missouri, David twice persuaded the Missouri Supreme Court to hold unconstitutional a Missouri sen- ate bill that unfairly burdened them. David was born in the Bronx to a white Jewish father and a Black mother. His parents divorced when he was six and he was raised by his mother. David completed his undergraduate de- gree at Columbia University as one of five Black students in a class of 700. In his junior year David ran for class president, narrowly losing to Bob Kraft, who was then a football hero and would later own the New England Patriots. Yale Law School followed, where he graduated sixth in his class of 165. In 2004, David saw Alecia Lutz across a crowded bar on Rittenhouse Square and instant- ly fell in love. After the third round of cocktails, he invit- ed her to Paris. They had ten dates in ten days. Within two months, he proposed. Next July would have been their twentieth wedding anniversary. David is survived by Alecia, two children and five grandchildren. His ashes will be sprinkled in the Bay of Saint-Tropez.
R. Robert Popeo, ’79, died on July 3, 2023 at the age of eighty-five. The Chairman of his nationally recognized White Collar Criminal Defense firm, Bob represented a wide range of high-profile clients, including Fortune 500 companies, CEOs, doctors, lawyers, and leading political
figures. Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld decid- ed to join Bob’s firm because of Bob. When Weld was U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts in the 1980s the office indicted 111 public corruption cases in five years. The office secured convictions in 110 of the 111 cases; Bob was the defense lawyer in the one case that did not lead to a conviction. “He did such a brilliant, brilliant job there,” Weld said, later adding, “He was easily the greatest lawyer in Massachusetts.” Bob’s friends were quick to point out that “As magnificent a lawyer as Bob Popeo was — and there was none better — he was even more magnificent a human being, and there was also none better.” Bob is survived by his wife of fifty-seven years, Brenda, five chil- dren and eleven grandchildren.
Daniel A. Ruley Jr., ’78, died on March 21, 2023 at his home on Muddy Creek Mountain in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Dan spent most of his ninety-five years in
Parkersburg, practicing law and engaging in community service. Early in his career, he served as the City Attor- ney, and later, as a Judge on the West Virginia Court of Claims. As President of the Lincoln School PTA, Dan led the installation of the outdoor basketball court on the school grounds. Dan enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1946 and served on Guam; he transferred and served as an officer in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and continued in the U.S Army Reserve, culminating with the rank of Colonel. Dan is survived by his wife, Diana Everett, his three children and six grandchildren.
Hon. Leonard H. Russon, ’84, was ninety at his passing on July 29, 2023. Leonard joined the Navy after high school, serving as a radioman during the Korean War on the destroyer Cassin Young in the Mediterranean. Upon discharge, he attended the University of Utah, served as a church representative in Great Britain for two years, re- turning to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1959 and a Juris Doctor in 1962. Leonard began his legal career as a defense attorney in 1963. Over the next twenty years he argued cases in every Utah court. He was appointed as a Judge to the Third District Court in 1984 where he served until his appointment to the Utah Court of Appeals in 1990. He was appointed as a Justice of the Utah Supreme Court in 1994 where he served until his retirement in 2003. While attending college in 1959, he met the “little blonde-haired love of his life,” Alene
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