Mark R. KRAVITZ

KRAVITZ, Hon. Mark R.


Hon. Mark R. Kravitz, 62, of Guilford, passed away peacefully on September 30, surrounded by his family in the house he has lived in for 35 years. Mark was the husband of 40 years to Wendy Evans Kravitz. Born on June 21, 1950, he graduated from Wesleyan University and later Georgetown University Law Center. After Georgetown, he went on to clerk for the Honorable James Hunter III in the Third Circuit, and later the Honorable Justice William Rehnquist of the US Supreme Court. Following his clerkships, Mark moved back to New Haven to continue his career at Wiggin & Dana, where he worked for 27 years. He was a distinguished lawyer, appearing before the US Supreme Court, and annually listed in Best Lawyers in America for more than a decade. Nominated by President George W. Bush, he was sworn in as a US District Judge in the summer of 2003 by the Honorable Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Over the course of a nine-year career he wrote more than 700 opinions, and served in a variety of roles on the Standing Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure in the United States Court, most notably as Chair. Mark continued working as a judge and on the Standing Committee despite his battling ALS - a true testament to his work ethic and dedication to public service. He was a Founding Director of the Friends of Yale Children's Hospital and the Connecticut Food Bank. He also served as a member of the boards of directors for the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Green Bag Reader, Connecticut Foundation for Open Government, Guilford Library Association, and Board of Ethics for the Town of Guilford among others. He always sought opportunities to mentor aspiring lawyers as a practicing attorney and jurist. He taught at the University of Connecticut School of Law, Yale Law School, and the University of Melbourne (Australia) Graduate School of Law. Colleagues and mentees commonly describe Mark's intelligence, humility, compassion and respect for each individual appearing before him as some of his greatest qualities. While he devoted much of his energy to work, Mark was even more dedicated to his family. Nothing could rival the complete devotion and love for his wife, Wendy, and children, Jen, Lindsey and Evan. He instilled in his children the values he cherished most, thereby providing a firm foundation for the rest of their lives. In his later years he loved to watch his family grow - Eric and Erik, his sons-in-law, and his three grandchildren, Carter, Sydney, and Kaisa. His greatest legacy resides both with the law and his family.
A memorial service is being planned in several weeks' time, and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be made to ALS Association CT Chapter (4 Oxford Rd., Unit D4, Milford, CT 06460), or to support a friend, Dorothy Halsey, running the NY Marathon in his name: http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/3rdParty/GreaterNewYork?team_id=220474&pg=team&fr_id=8680. For the full version of the obituary, please visit www.GuilfordFuneralHome.com.