JAMES DANIELS

1941 - 2022

DANIELS--James E. James E. Daniels. February 17, 1941 - October 18, 2022. Born, raised and died, after a long illness, in Brooklyn, Jim was the son of Alfred H. and Ada Daniels, and stepson of Stella Daniels. He deeply loved his family: wife Martha E. (Meg) Gifford, sister Molly Daniels and family friend Bonnie Uditsky, son Justin, daughter Caitlin (David) Israel, grandchildren Alex, William and Lilah Daniels and their mother, Stacey, and Hannah, Audrey and the late Leo Israel, six cousins, and his in-laws Dorothy and the late Fred Gifford, brothers-in-law Stephen and the late Robert, and Meg's nephew and nieces. He received loving care for nearly four years from Carla Alder. Jim graduated from Harvard College '62 and Harvard Law School '65. He served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge M. Joseph Blumenfeld, then as trial lawyer in the Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice. He became an outstanding lawyer in private practice, creative, strategic and disciplined, and a wonderful writer. He practiced for twenty years in antitrust law, then in intellectual property, but was most gratified by a pro bono case that saved its building for Emmaus House in Harlem, residence and workshop for formerly homeless. He created a second career as an independent arbitrator and mediator, whose skills were sought after by private parties and judges. He loved Brooklyn, and all of New York, but found his greatest delight in wide-open landscapes and seascapes, especially at his and Meg's house in Maine, in the Adirondacks and the American Southwest. Always active until his illness, he biked, snowshoed, hiked, walked and photographed both the streets of New York and cities overseas, excelled at tennis and squash, and took to gardening energetically. He listened to music every day, loved movies, theater and art. He connected with people everywhere, from Gallup, New Mexico to Bergen, Norway. Jim never stopped learning, and never lost his love for the blessings of life, family and friends. We miss him dearly. Contributions may be made in Jim's memory to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, for research and treatment of melanoma.