Robert L. Halfyard

Robert L. Halfyard of Quincy, the city where he was born, died May 15, 2012, at age 86. He was the beloved brother of Faith Halfyard of South Yarmouth and the late Fred Baker Halfyard of Dallas, Texas. He is also survived by a niece and nephew in California; and cousins. He was a graduate of Quincy public schools, Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He served as an enlisted man in World War II in the European Theater. In 1947 he was commissioned from the ROTC, and during his active reserve service he completed the Field Artillery School, Judge Advocates General School, Command and General Staff College, and the two weeks Army Reserve Officer course at the National War College, Ft. McNair. He retired as a colonel in 1978. For many years, he practiced law in Boston, and in 1987 was appointed a United States administrative law judge and was assigned to the Social Security Hearing Office in Boston. For many years, he was a secretary and director of the New England Law Institute, and participated in continuing legal education programs. For 13 years, he was an adjunct professor of law at Suffolk Law School. He was past president of the New England Chapter of the Judge Advocates Association; the Massachusetts Chapter of the Federal Bar Association; and the Cambridge Bar Association. He was active with the Civic Symphony Orchestra of Boston, the Harvard Musical Association, and other organizations promoting the arts. A memorial service will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. in the Bigelow Chapel at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Book Fund at the Boston Athenaeum, 10 1/2 Beacon St., Boston, MA. See www.McDonald-FuneralHomes.com for online condolences.