Calvin Massey

Calvin R. Massey

July 22, 1949 - September 23, 2015

Calvin Randolph Massey, of Concord, NH and Deer Isle, ME, formerly of San Francisco, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on September 23 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

He was born in 1949 in Walla Walla, WA and graduated from Whitman College in 1969, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He received his MBA from Harvard in 1971 and a JD from Columbia University in 1974, where he was managing editor of the Columbia Law Review and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Following a dozen years of practice in San Francisco, he joined the UC Hastings College of Law faculty in 1987 and was Professor of Law there from 1992-2012, teaching constitutional law, property and wills and trusts. A professor emeritus at Hastings, he moved east and was the Daniel Webster Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of New Hampshire from 2012-15. During his academic career he was a visiting professor at the law schools of Stanford, Berkeley (Boalt Hall), Boston College, Boston University, Lewis & Clark, Washington & Lee, and Leiden University in the Netherlands. He wrote casebooks on constitutional law and property and authored over 50 articles, mostly on constitutional law matters.

He was a creative cook, an avid hiker and sailor, and was possessed of a quick mind and vast store of knowledge, faith and courage. Most of all, he was a beloved husband and father and will be deeply missed.

He is survived by his wife Martha, daughter Ellen, son-in-law Seth Leonard and sister Mary Alice Tonn.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 3rd at 2PM at St Andrew's Episcopal Church, 354 Main Street, Hopkinton, NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Attn: Dr. Robert J. Soiffer, MD, 450 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215-5450.