RICHARD J. "RICH" YURKO

1953 - 2024

YURKO, Richard J. "Rich" On October 31, 2024. Born in Ottawa, Canada, on October 30, 1953, son of Michael and Catherine Yurko both deceased; and the fourth of six children, Rich and his family emigrated to the United States in 1960 to Levittown (now Willingboro), New Jersey. Following graduation from Levittown High School, Rich attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1975 summa cum laude and was a member of both Casque & Gauntlet and Phi Beta Kappa societies. Rich graduated from Harvard University Law School in 1979, serving as an Editor for the Harvard Civil Rights - Civil Liberties Law Review and taking an interim year off to serve as Assistant Dean of Freshmen at Dartmouth College. Rich's legal career included a clerkship with United States District Court Judge James Lawrence King, Southern District of Florida, followed by a litigation law practice with Bingham, Dana & Gould, Widett, Slater & Goldman and Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar. Rich went on to establish the firm of Yurko, Salvesen & Remz, followed by Yurko Partners P.C. in 2020 and served as counsel to Syntheon LLC since 2021. Rich spent over a decade on the board of directors of GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), including two years as President of the GLAD board. Additionally, as a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar, he was in court when GLAD's Mary Bonauto successfully argued the constitutional right for marriage equality before the high court. Rich is survived by his partner, Jianhua Shi; his former wife, Martha Faigen; his son, Nathan Yurko and wife, Jianyuan Hua; and son, Daniel Yurko. He also leaves behind his granddaughter, Chloe; his brother, Allen Yurko and wife, Gayle Yurko; and sisters, Donna Andersen, Janice Peritz, Patricia Dekin and husband, Gary Dekin and Linda Schumacher and husband, Donovan Schumacher; as well as many loving nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held on Monday, November 18, at 11 AM, at Church of Our Savior, 25 Monmouth Street, Brookline, Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to GLAD, 18 Tremont Street, Suite 950, Boston, MA 02108 or Giving@glad.org

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