Alex Reisman

1944 - 2024

Alex Reisman
10/13/1944 - 05/13/2024
Alex Reisman-beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend to many, and passionate advocate for justice-passed away peacefully at his home in Brisbane, CA on May 13, 2024. He was born and raised in Detroit, but lived in the Bay Area since he started Stanford Law School in 1966.
Although he was a highly skilled and respected criminal trial lawyer (a deeply political career choice born out of his desire for social change), Alex always thought of himself as a plodder whose practice was defined by hard work and persistence, and thus, someone whose skills were eminently replicable and could be taught to anyone willing to learn. This is perhaps why he so enjoyed mentoring and teaching other attorneys - showing them how to demystify the law and the legal process, and telling them that the secret to success was to know your case - read everything, and then read it again; to always keep your client's best interests front and center; to prepare, prepare, prepare.
But there was more to Alex. Those who knew him thought of him as someone who was uniquely generous and joyful, and who brought a brilliance, intensity and enthusiasm to every aspect of his life. He was always willing to help with the legal problems of neighbors, his kids' friends, and anyone in the community who asked. (He'd joke, "The first one's free. Next time I'm going to charge you, so don't get in trouble again!" - an empty threat, as Alex was consummately understanding.) He served for 12 years as a trustee of the Brisbane Elementary School District in an effort to improve the local public schools. And he spent countless hours of practice learning the stand-up bass starting in his mid-40s so he could play music with his wife Nancy, his best friend and partner of 44 years.
As a parent, he was playful, an open ear, a straight shooter, and the ultimate cheerleader, but also one of those people who could make a space so inviting that it becomes where everyone wants to hang out. As a friend, Alex forged lifelong connections with people, including many friends from grade school in Michigan, several of whom he joined for a weekly Zoom "meeting" until shortly before his death.
Once retired, Alex organized his life around caring for and entertaining his three grandsons. He did all the grandparent things - making special Pop-Pop and Nona days, taking them to feed cows and goats, reading with them, introducing them to Mel Brook and delighting in their appreciation of The 2000 Year Old Man. But he also created worlds for them, like teaching them his secret language (named after the Yiddish word hock, to bang at or annoy). He loved having more time to take road trips with his wife and dog, play music, read avidly about history and politics, and enjoy Sunday night dinners with his family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Nathan and Margaret Reisman, his sisters, Nancy Gurley and Sharon Siegel, and his mentor, Paul Briefer.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy Colman, children, Jonah, Eli and Arielle Reisman, daughter-in-law Sandra Reisman, son-in-law Nathan Simmons and grandchildren, Joaquin Reisman, Emil Reisman, and Quincy Simmons. His spirit will live on in those with whom he so generously shared his love, friendship, keen intellect and irrepressible sense of humor. It is only this legacy that makes his loss at all bearable.