STEPHEN REED WAINWRIGHT

1939 - 2019

WAINWRIGHT, Stephen Reed Attorney Age 79, of North Easton, died on March 2, 2019 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Stephen was born in Brockton on August 24, 1939 to the late Attorney George Llewellyn Wainwright and late Louise Ellington (Turner) Wainwright. He spent his summers growing up racing Wenaumet Bluffs kittens in the waters off of Pocasset, Cape Cod. The Wainwright Family Orchestra performed Labor Day weekend community concerts there for over 30 years. Stephen participated in those concerts by adeptly playing several instruments, including the banjo, saxophone, flute, piccolo, clarinet and piano. Stephen attended West Junior High School in Brockton. He then studied at St. George's School in Newport, RI, and graduated in 1957. Stephen was admitted to Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, and pledged the Chi Psi fraternity. After graduating from Wesleyan in 1961, Stephen was admitted to Boston University Law School. After completing his first year at B.U. Law School, during the Summer of 1962, Stephen travelled across the country with one of his Chi Psi Fraternity brothers playing the banjo, singing folk music and telling funny stories and jokes. They ended up hitting a barroom in every state west of the Mississippi River, staying at Chi Psi fraternities along the way, or just sleeping under the stars. On their way back to the east coast, Stephen discovered the magical place called New Orleans. When Stephen returned home to Massachusetts, he decided that he was destined to return to New Orleans, so he gave up on B.U. Law School. A fellow Wesleyan graduate was Editor of the Law Review at Tulane Law School, and encouraged Stephen to apply. When Stephen got to New Orleans, he had an apartment in the French Quarter with a Tulane Law School graduate who was a clerk for a Federal Judge, and got a job playing banjo on Bourbon Street at a club called "Your Father's Mustache". One late night in October of 1964, while Stephen was walking down Bourbon Street, he was arrested on suspicion of murder by the New Orleans Police. Stephen was ultimately convicted in the local New Orleans Court for vagrancy, reviling the police, resisting arrest, and assault and battery. Stephen appealed his conviction, but it was denied. Stephen then appealed his conviction to the Louisiana Supreme Court. That appeal was also denied, so Stephen appealed to the United States Supreme Court. After filing his writ of certiorari, Stephen left the country to study law at the University of Grenoble in France. When Stephen's writ of certiorari was granted by the U.S. Supreme Court, he returned to the United States to sit at counsel table for the oral argument before the full Court. Months later, the Supreme Court rendered its decision in Stephen's favor, which can be found at 392 U.S. 598 (1968). When the actual opinion was mailed to Stephen by the Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, he carried it around with him in his briefcase whenever he went on a trip as a member of the World Peace through Law Center out of Geneva, Switzerland, a group that held a conference every 2 years on a different continent. At one of their conferences in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Stephen was at a reception where Chief Justice Earl Warren was in attendance. When Stephen pulled out his copy of the opinion and asked the Chief Justice if he would autograph it for Stephen, he obliged. Not only did he remember the case, but he remembered Stephen and proceeded to discuss with Stephen why his opinion was the correct one. There are only two autographs in Stephen's collection, Chief Justice Earl Warren and Ted Williams. When Stephen returned from his year of study in France, he graduated from Tulane Law School in 1965, and returned home to Brockton, Massachusetts. In 1967, Stephen passed the Massachusetts Bar and began practicing at his family's law firm of Wainwright, Wainwright, Wainwright, Wainwright and Wainwright, with his father, George, his brothers, Richard and William, and his sister-in-law, Ona. Stephen was well on his way to becoming a prominent Brockton attorney. In 1977, Stephen met a boxer named Marvin. By 1979, Stephen had become Marvin's lawyer, often referred to as "The Barrister", as well as his corner man in the ring. When the honchos at ABC's Wide World of Sports refused to call him "Marvelous", Stephen went to Court and had the Probate Court Judge change his name from "Marvin Nathaniel Hagler" to simply "Marvelous Marvin". Hagler fought all over the world, and Stephen was with him every step of the way. After meeting Bo Derek and her husband, John, at one of Hagler's fights, Stephen arranged for Hagler to meet Bo Derek who had just made the movie "10". Bo and John sat ringside as Stephen's guests at the Roberto Duran fight in Las Vegas on November 30, 1983. Bo was Stephen's client and friend ever since that day. In addition to Stephen's reputation as an accomplished entertainment lawyer, he was a skilled trial attorney. In the case of Commonwealth v. Sefranka, 382 Mass. 108 (1980), the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned a lower court's ruling against Stephen's homosexual client, and found that the "lewd, wanton and lascivious persons" provision in M.G.L. c. 272, §53 was unconstitutionally vague. He was also a masterful orator, often attracting extra spectators when fellow confreres would learn that he was in court arguing a case. On a lighter note, Stephen was very proud of receiving from the Plymouth County Bar Association in 2006, the first-ever "Denny Crane" Award for his unorthodox approach to advocacy. Stephen's practice remained in Brockton until 2004, at which time he moved out of downtown Brockton to South Easton, where he continued to practice up until his death. On March 31, 1980, Stephen married Marcia Honey Wainwright. On March 31, 1998, Marcia was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. On March 31, 1999, the doctors told Stephen and Marcia that her cancer was in remission, but the good news did not last for long. On March 31, 2000, what usually was their special day, Marcia's funeral services were held in the Chapel of Mary at Stonehill College in Easton. Shortly after Marcia's death, Stephen was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, as well. Marcia's cancer had been located just below her voice box. Stephen's was just above the voice box. Both were squamous cell carcinoma, a very aggressive form of cancer. The Year 2001 began a new passage for Stephen through the struggles of Job. He would often state, "It's Just A Test". Stephen opted for an experimental treatment to avoid losing the use of his salivary glands, which entailed 30 days of intensive radiation. The treatment was worth it because Stephen's cancer went into remission. Although Stephen suffered through setbacks over the years that were caused by the radiation treatment, he was fortunate to have reconnected with his daughter, Gitana Eliese, in 2004. Over the years, Gitana's free spirit and genuineness exposed Stephen to emotions he had never felt before. Their remarkable love for each other blossomed with every passing day. Whether it was new summer traditions created by Stephen and Gitana at the Wainwright Family home in Pocasset, or Gitana getting Stephen to go on a school field trip with her students to the Museum of Science in Boston, or Gitana's tradition of dressing up with Stephen at Halloween to pass out candy to the neighborhood kids in their development, or her love for all things Christmas, Stephen and Gitana truly enjoyed each other's company and always looked forward to their next adventure. While their time together was not as long as either had hoped, their time together will never be forgotten, because Stephen is not the type of person you can forget. He was special to so many people for so many different reasons, whether it was a client with a problem that he would solve, or a friend who needed someone to listen, or an employee who needed some guidance or encouragement, or a daughter who was considering a career change. In the days leading up to his death, Stephen spent time with his close friends and family, telling jokes and reminiscing about old times with the same wit and humor for which he was well known. The only thing that failed Stephen in the end was his body. His mind and spirit will live on in all of those who were blessed to have known him. Stephen died peacefully with his daughter, Gitana, by his side. Stephen is survived by his daughter, Gitana Eliese Blaufelder, and his 2 pure white bichons, Henri and Heidi; his many nieces and nephews, namely Jennifer Leavitt Shimeld, Samuel Mathison Wainwright, Jessica Wainwright Doucette, Joshua Wainwright, Theresa Torchia, Anthony Torchia, Michael Torchia, David Wainwright and Victoria Wainwright, who was also Stephen's goddaughter; his two other godchildren, Samantha Reed Mekjian and Edward Reed Mekjian; and his sisters-in-law, Ona Wainwright, Linda Wainwright, Shirley Leavitt and Barbara Leavitt; and his brothers-in-law, Thomas Torchia, Herbert Leavitt and Mark Leavitt. Stephen is also survived by Attorney Amy Kamon LaGarde, who began working for Stephen as a legal secretary in 1996, became a paralegal shortly thereafter, and, at Stephen's urging, began attending law school in 2005 while still working full-time for Stephen. After graduating and passing the Bar in 2010, Stephen continued to mentor Amy while she worked by his side at their law office in South Easton up until his passing. Stephen was predeceased by his brother, Richard Llewellyn Wainwright, an attorney and former Mayor of the City of Brockton, who recently passed away on February 11, 2019; his sister, Muriel Louise Torchia of South Easton, and his brother, Attorney William Mathison Wainwright of South Easton. Stephen's passing not only marks the end of his generation, but the end of an era. Visiting Hours will be held at the Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont Street in BROCKTON, on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. A Funeral Mass will be held at the Chapel of Mary at Stonehill College, 320 Washington St., Easton on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, at 10:00 AM. Interment to follow at Melrose Cemetery in Brockton. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215 or Massachusetts General Hospital, 275 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114. For online condolences and directions, please visit conleyfuneralhome.com

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