Godfrey Isaac

April 25, 1925 - May 8, 2015 Godfrey Isaac, a superlative trial lawyer whose legal career spanned 61 years, died on May 8 at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. He was 90. Godfrey was born in Chicago, grew up in Kansas City, and served in the armored infantry with Patton's 3rd Army in World War II. He moved to Los Angeles after the war, attending USC and then earning his law degree at Loyola. In the 1950s, he married and had two children, David and Julie. Godfrey came to prominence in 1969, when he contested the firing of LA County Coroner Thomas Noguchi and obtained Dr. Noguchi's reinstatement. Godfrey was in his element in the courtroom. In addition to representing celebrities such as Judy Garland, Dorothy Malone, Anthony Quinn, and Phil Spector in family law and other matters, Godfrey had an active criminal law practice, including representation of Sirhan Sirhan, Watergate defendant Charles Colson, and many others. He was a master at both negotiating and trying employment disputes, in 1990 winning a jury verdict of over a million dollars in a racial bias lawsuit after Dr. Reginald Clark was denied tenure at Claremont Graduate School. Godfrey headed the litigation department at Kindel & Anderson from 1991 to 1995. For the next 18 years, Godfrey was of counsel to two other firms, continuing to advise doctors and professors in employment matters, and making life-long friends in the process. He also worked as an arbitrator and mediator; as a hearing officer for the LA County Civil Service Commission; and as a hearing examiner for the LA Police Commission. Godfrey's book, "I'll See You in Court," was published in 1979. Godfrey loved Hollywood and the movies, serving for many years on the board of directors of the American Cinematheque. In 1987, he married Kathleen Mahon Isaac, and together they enjoyed movies, travelling, cooking, good restaurants, dry martinis, and especially the company of Godfrey's many wonderful friends and family, with whom he happily celebrated his 90th birthday just weeks ago. His great sense of humor remained with him to the end. He is survived by Kathleen and by his son David and daughter-in-law Jackie, daughter Julie, grandchildren Jonathan and Cara, brother Ted and sister-in-law Katya, nephew Noah, and nieces Dafna and Devra. Godfrey wanted no memorial service, preferring instead that Kathleen host a party for friends and family to eat, drink, be merry and toast his life. The date has not yet been set.