Richard Rifkin

Rifkin, Richard
ALBANY - Richard Rifkin died on September 30, 2025, after suffering a severe head injury. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Jill Wertheimer Rifkin; two daughters, Jennifer Rifkin Tyler and Melissa Rifkin; and their husbands. He will be remembered as an exceptionally loving husband and father. He will also be dearly missed by his three grandchildren, who adored their doting "Poppy." Countless friends and relatives will deeply mourn his loss.
While his family was far and away the most important part of his life, Richard also had an illustrious career as an attorney. After graduating from Yale Law School in 1965, Richard worked in several Manhattan law firms until 1973, while also serving on the staff of Assemblyman Leonard Stavisky. In 1973, he began working with Robert Abrams, eventually serving as the First Assistant Attorney General.
In 1994, Richard was chosen as Executive Director of the New York State Ethics Commission, having done significant work on the bill establishing it. Five years later, he returned to the office of the Attorney General, following the election of Eliot Spitzer, where he remained for eight years.
He spent the next decade working for the New York State Bar Association, first as Special Counsel, later as a consultant. In 2020, he joined the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, where he served as its Legal Director until his death.
For the last 30 years, he was a member of the Chief Administrative Judge's Advisory Committee on Civil Practice. Most recently, he took great pride in his appointment to the Board of Directors of the Albany County League of Women Voters.
Services will be held at the Levine Memorial Chapel, 649 Washington Ave., Albany, on October 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Albany County League of Women Voters.
To leave a message of condolence for the family online, please visit LevineMemorialChapel.com