ALBERT MARK FORTIER Jr.

FORTIER, Albert Mark Jr. Passed away on the evening of Saturday, March 5, at the age of 85, with his loving family by his side. He is survived by his wife Bente; his two sons, John (m. Evelyn) and Mark (m. Jay); and two grandchildren, Thomas and Clare. A resident of Brookline, he grew up in Melrose and Brookline and attended Brookline High School just as his sons did decades later. The first member of his family with a college degree, he earned an early admission scholarship to the University of Chicago at the age of 16 and graduated in 1955. There he was president of the student government and a member of the sailing team. He was also a graduate of Harvard Law School (1958), argued several Supreme Court cases, was listed in Best Lawyers of America for over 20 years, and practiced law as an estate planning lawyer for over fifty years, including 35 years at the Boston firm Rackemann, Sawyer and Brewster. Active in politics, he was the president of the Massachusetts chapter of the Republican Party, was an elected Town Meeting Member of Brookline and served as chair of the Redistricting Committee. Dedicated to education, he was counsel to the Crown Prince Frederik Fund which provides scholarships for Danish students at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and served as counsel and trustee of the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation. Active in his local community, he was a president of the Friends of the Boston University Libraries and was on the Board of Visitors of the School of Theology. He was a trustee of the West Suburban YMCA, a corporator of the Boston Biomedical Research Institute, a member of the board of governors of The Union Club of Boston and a member of The Villagers, The Masons, and the Brae Burn Country Club in Newton. His commitment to his law profession extended beyond his job. He mentored many young lawyers, providing them with his advice in complex legal matters and helping them to build their practices and careers. And he was a member of the Boston, Massachusetts and American Bar Associations, a trustee of the Thomas Thompson Trust, and a fellow and Massachusetts State Chair (from 1993 -1997) of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. In addition, he was involved with the Pioneer Institute of Public Policy, a Boston free market think tank founded in the late 1980s. He was a beloved father and grandfather and in his earlier years was proud to serve as a soldier in the U.S. Army Reserve and as a counselor at Camp Idlewild. A private Memorial Service is planned for the family in June. In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to the Joel Katz Residency Education Fund, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Suite BB-413, Boston, MA 02115, in memory of Albert Mark Fortier, Jr. Bell-O'Dea Funeral Home www.bellodeafuneralhome.com (617) 277 - 7652