Frederick Lyle Ikenson

With deep sadness, we mourn the loss of our husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and colleague, Frederick Lyle Ikenson ("Fred"). Fred, 84, who was born on March 27, 1940, in the Bronx, New York to Max and Ruth Ikenson, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
Fred was a beloved husband and devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Donna Selby Ikenson, as well as three sons (Daniel, Alexander, and Benjamin), six grandchildren (Anna, Samuel, Hayden, Abigail, Ella, and Henry), and one great-granddaughter (Ava).
Fred was born and raised in the Bronx, graduated from the Bronx School of Science at the age of 16, and attended Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English. After serving a term in the United States Army, Fred took a job with Air France, where he met Donna Selby, whom he married in 1963. Shortly thereafter, Fred became a junior high school teacher of English and Spanish, and he coached the boys' soccer and basketball teams. In the evenings, he attended law classes and earned a law degree from New York Law School in 1968. Fred's legal career began as an attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice in New York City, where he worked on international trade and customs matters. He entered private practice in 1973, working in Washington, D.C. for the Law Offices of Eugene Stewart before establishing the partnership of Stewart and Ikenson. In 1978, Fred established the Law Offices of Frederick L. Ikenson, a boutique firm specializing in international trade and customs law, which operated for nearly 30 years before being acquired by Blank Rome, LLP, where Fred was a partner until his semi-retirement in 2022. After 55 years and until his untimely death, Fred was still working on legal matters for various clients.
"Fred," "Freddy," "dad" was the patriarch of a growing family who are shocked and saddened by his passing and will forever miss his love, encouragement, and words of wisdom.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Smile Train.