JOHN FERGUSON

I saw John regularly at ABA meetings and events and always enjoyed his wit and wisdom. He personified all of the qualities we hope for in our friend, colleagues, and civil servants. My condolences to all of his family.

I had only met John in the last couple of years, having known Karen for many years. In the short time that I knew him, he was funny and kind.
My condolences to Karen and the family.

I had the honor of meeting John at the DLL midwinter meeting last year. As a new labor lawyer, John was gracious with his time. He was a class act and a real gentleman. He will be missed this year.

As with so many good friends at the nlrb , the road to John Ferguson went through the late Bill Stewart. They had been close colleagues on the GC side and when I came to Washington in 1994 and was able to convince Bill to be my Chief, I was immediately introduced to a range of Bill's good pals and prominent amongst them was John .Always warm and affable, we would engage one another in lively conversation , usually in Bills office - he , along with Linda Sher,was one of the ready made friends whom I derived from Bill Stewart.
Ironically , subsequent to my departure from Washington , I came to know John much better.When I was finishing a draft of a paper that I was about to deliver as a speech in 2005 or 2006, I wondered with whom I could discuss a particular point on preemption. My mind flashed back to John and when I picked up the telephone that day, this turned out to be one of the first in a series of conversations with him about the Law and life. This past year we corresponded extensively about a number of issues on the cutting edge including the gig economy piece that I was writing and and we discussed the independent contractor- employee divide and preemption issues relating to a new Seattle ordinance.John was so bubbly, quick witted and mirthful There were times when we went back and forth every day and he even wrote me while on vacation- invariably he would send me a raft of cases that he seemed to have in the can from his many briefs and memos.

John was one of the smartest lawyers I ever met - extraordinary analytical abilities and his years of exposure to the judiciary gave him an uncanny sense of what courts were likely to do.His death deprives the Board of not only first rate intellectual ability but also unparalleled institutional memory
Above all else, John was a very good , giving person and a genuine mentor to so many young people . He was very special and a terrible loss for me and of course,his family to whom I again send condolences , the Board and labor bar. I will miss him very much.

My warmest condolences to Karen. We workes together in Ralph Naders office on a project regarding pension legislation. It was great to work with you Karen. Being back in Sweden for many years I often think back at my happy days in Washington

As a classmate at Shaker of John's, I admired him and knew he would be successful in whatever field he pursued. God Bless him.

My condolences to his family. I was good friends with John at Malvern Elementary School, but we went our different ways afterwards. I am not surprised that he had a distinguished career and was an extraordinary person.

I am stunned and saddened to learn this morning of John's death. We corresponded frequently over these past 3-4 years about various issues, and at one point I told John how much I regretted not knowing him better when I was at the Board in the 1990s. In all my professional life, I have never encountered someone who had greater breadth and analytical ability. His words just jumped off the page, and he was a very good and giving person as well.
Bill Gould, Stanford, California

Our condolences to John's family. He truly was one of the nicest people I have ever met. Although I never knew him when I worked at the NLRB Regional Office in Pittsburgh, I met him through the DLL Mid-Winter meetings. He was always warm and welcoming to my husband and me. His speeches at the conference were not only informative, but were presented with humor and style. We recently saw him at the College of Labor and Employment Induction Dinner in Washington, DC and he looked great. So very sorry to hear of this sad news and be comforted in knowing that he was admired and deeply respected by many colleagues.

As a colleague at the Board John taught me fine points about appellate advocacy and made me smarter just being around him. I trusted his word and opinion implicitly. Not only a wise and wonderful teacher he was always a good friend
too. I will miss him greatly and am truly honored to have known him.