Richard S. Volpert

Richard S. ("Dick") Volpert, 90, died on April 19, 2025 of old age and complications from Alzheimer's.

Dick grew up in Lake Placid, NY, where he was captain of the Lake Placid High School football team and ice hockey team. His father, Dr. Samuel Volpert, was the town doctor and his mother, Julia Volpert Wotman, was a bookkeeper. His grandfather, Simon Volpert, emigrated from Lithuania in the 1890s and was a member of the local city council.

He graduated from Amherst College in 1956, where he played varsity football and ice hockey; he then attended Columbia Law School, which he graduated from with honors in 1959, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He attended college and law school on full scholarships.

At Amherst, Dick met the love of his life, Marcia Flaster, at Smith College Hillel at Yom Kippur services in October 1954. They started dating immediately and were married the week of Marcia's college graduation in 1958. Upon his graduation from law school, Dick joined the law firm O'Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, where he was one of the first Jewish partners and led the Real Estate Department for many years.

Thus commenced a storied 60+ year legal career as one of the leading real estate lawyers in California, including chairing the real estate departments at Skadden, Arps, Meagher & Flom, Munger Tolles & Olsen, and most recently Glaser Weil. When he walked through downtown Los Angeles, he could point to playing a role in many major real estate developments over the last 50 years. He was particularly skilled at bringing together public and private partnerships as in constructing Disney Concert Hall where he represented the County of LA.

He inspired and mentored dozens of great lawyers and community leaders over the years, leading by example. He also led by example at a time of tacit antisemitism in many firms, by insisting as a junior partner in the 1960s that his firm should not hold partners meetings at discriminatory clubs and ultimately working pro bono to open up law firms and private clubs to Jews, women and minorities in the 1970s.

Dick was deeply dedicated to secular and Jewish philanthropy, committing substantial time to serve Jewish charities such as the American Jewish Committee, the Community Relations Committee and Valley Beth Shalom synagogue; and secular charities such as the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the University of Southern California Law School.

Dick was a prodigious amateur photographer, decorating his offices and walls with his beautiful landscapes and sunsets and coastal photographs. He was a wine enthusiast with an exceptional palate who loved to find exceptional wine at Trader Joe's. Most recently, Dick co-founded a new winery with his family, Volterre in Sonoma.

As impressive and accomplished as Dick was with his professional and nonprofit roles, his greatest joy and highest priority was always his family -- especially Marcia and their four children. He would always drop everything for his family and his office was filled with a lifetime of family photos.

Dick is survived by his wife, Marcia, their four children Barry (& Teri) Volpert, Sandy (& Gayle) Volpert, Linda (& Larry) Gross, and Nancy Volpert plus 10 grandchildren and their partners and two great-grandchildren. This is his greatest legacy.

Dick leaves a reputation of high integrity, great intellect, deep humility, true community service, kindness and love of family.

Contributions in Dick Volpert's honor may be made to:

Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA 91436, https://www.vbs.org/donateonline or Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Attn: Advancement Dept, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, www.nhm.org/donate.

May his memory be for a blessing.

The Volpert Family