RALPH STEIN

STEIN, Ralph Ralph Stein passed away on February 21 in Boca Raton, FL, at the age of 96. Born on December 7, 1929, in Lawrence, he was the devoted son of Max and Lillian (Shames) Stein. Ralph grew up in Lawrence, MA and attended public schools there, except for second grade, which he spent in Montreal, Canada, living with his mother and grandparents. He graduated from Lawrence High School and went on to attend Boston University, earning his law degree in 1953. After a brief tour of duty in the U.S. Army, Ralph began practicing law in Lawrence. In 1959, he met the love of his life, Mildred Corn, and they were married in February 1961. Mildred predeceased him in 2023. In 1969, Ralph moved both his family and his law practice to Salem, NH, where he lived and worked until his retirement in 2015. Following retirement, he and Mildred split their time between their beloved home in West Yarmouth, MA, and Naples, FL. At the onset of the COVID epidemic, he and Mildred moved to Maplewood at Mayflower Place in West Yarmouth, and in 2023, Ralph moved to Abbey Delray, an assisted living community in Delray Beach, FL, where he led a weekly current events discussion, sang in the choral group and daily held court in a chair by the swimming pool. Ralph was a member of the Freemasons (Spicket Lodge #85), the Lawrence, Massachusetts Exchange Club, the New Hampshire Bar Association, and the Jewish War Veterans, where he served as a past commander. He was a member of Temple Anshai Shalom in Delray Beach, and formerly a member of Temple Beth Tikvah in Naples, FL, and Temple Emanuel in Andover, MA. He enjoyed playing tennis, bicycling, the opera, spending time by the beach on Cape Cod and in Florida, and a well-made gin and tonic (Tanqueray being a favorite). Ralph had an encyclopedic memory and read extensively, particularly the Wall Street Journal, history, and detective novels. Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller (the Lincoln Lawyer) were among his favorite characters. He was the loving father of Mark (Rosa Hallowell) of Concord, MA., and Russell (Rebecca) of Chestnut Hill, MA. He was the proud grandfather of Jared (Mara), Daniel (Alexandra), Elizah (Conrad Bertez), Sam, and Lucia, and great-grandfather of Noah and Joey. Ralph outlived many friends from childhood and his years raising a family in Salem, but he made new friends during his time at Abbey Delray, where he is remembered fondly. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, February 26 at 1:00 PM at Congregation Mishkan Tefila, 384 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA., followed by a private burial at Children of Abraham Cemetery, in Lawrence. More than anything, Ralph loved his family (whom he perennially called his "claim to immortality"), friends and the practice of law, and they in turn loved him back. For livestream and online condolences, visit www.goldmanfc.com