Anthony F. Ringold

1931 - 2021

Anthony F. Ringold

Anthony F. Ringold, only child of Murray and Ida Ringold, beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, and esteemed lawyer, died October 21, 2021. He was 90 years old.

The senior partner at Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold when he retired at the age of 88, Tony's career of more than 60 years commenced in 1957 when Claude H. Rosenstein asked him to join the law firm of Rosenstein, Fist & Mesirow following his work there as a summer law clerk. When his 60th anniversary at the Firm was honored, Tony discussed with his colleagues that Mr. Rosenstein had emphasized the importance of being thorough, utilizing the knowledge and experience of others in the Firm, developing and maintaining collegiality and professional relationships, and involvement in the community and pro bono work, principles they noted Tony adhered to throughout his own legal practice. Tony also embraced these ideas in other aspects of his life, explaining to his children when they were young that "we always leave the campsite better than the way we found it."

Tony was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduating from Central High School, he attended the University of Michigan as an undergraduate, and went on to earn his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Michigan Law School. He then moved to Washington State in order to complete his military commitment. He served in the U.S. Army Infantry for two years, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant before returning to Tulsa to begin his work as an attorney.

Over the years, his law practice spanned multiple fields including real estate, corporate bankruptcy reorganization, oil and gas, mergers and acquisitions, and health care. Committed to the ever-evolving nature of his profession, and to his clients, Tony has been described as selfless, and as a consensus builder, an attorney with masterful technical skills as well as the ability to reach practical solutions and develop long-lasting professional relationships.

Tony was plainspoken, with an old-fashioned, dry and reliable sense of humor. He was also deeply contemplative, demanding more of himself in all aspects of his life. For over 20 years, while engaged in his legal practice, he taught a course in real estate transactions as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Tulsa. He also wrote a detailed treatise about the Ninth Amendment and earned his Master of Arts degree in History at TU.

Tony immersed himself in American history and biographies of our country's Founding Fathers. Like his manner in all things, Tony read about these men with great attention to detail, considering our democracy and how our past informs the choices we make every day. His interests included Native American art and antique maps, each offering invaluable stories, if we would ask and listen. His grandchildren tell of detailed and thorough examinations of books, papers, current events, sports and poetry in their long and cherished conversations with him. Tony lived methodically and passionately, on his own quiet terms.

He fiercely loved to garden and followed the requirements to do so properly, respecting the process as the priority, not the result. While he advised everyone that his carefully executed experiment with growing peanuts was ultimately not successful, he usually produced a good crop of tomatoes, onions and hot peppers each year, noting that, as always, he was sharing everything with the neighborhood squirrels. Tony also studied the sky, advising family of upcoming planetary configurations so that everyone might have the opportunity to see them from wherever they lived.

Classical music was a large part of his life. He played the piano since early childhood, spent a summer at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and proudly sang in the University of Michigan choir. He struggled, with some degree of success, to learn to play the French horn. He was a founding member of Chamber Music Tulsa and served on the Board for many years. Being active was important to him so he introduced his family to hiking, camping and skiing in the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. He enjoyed playing golf and tennis, and, of course, jogging with his running mates along the Arkansas River, followed by conversation and coffee at a local café.

In addition to his work and other pursuits, Tony made time to participate in and serve his community. He volunteered for many years at Tulsa County Legal Aid Services and was a member of the Vision 2025 Sales Tax Overview Committee. He served on the Boards of Planned Parenthood and Parkside Psychiatric Hospital. After he retired, Tony volunteered to deliver food for Meals on Wheels. When that became difficult, he put on his boots and loaded groceries into people's cars lined up at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

Fundamentally a lovable and complicated man, Tony adored, was dedicated to, and believed in his family and the importance of family. He is mourned by his wife, her daughter, son-in law, and two grandchildren, and by his first wife, their four children, spouses and four grandchildren, as well as by his numerous colleagues and friends. He will be missed very much.



No further services are planned at this time. If you would like to donate in memory of Tony, please consider:



https://www.okfoodbank.org



https://www.mealsonwheelstulsa.org



University of Tulsa

c/o C.H. Rosenstein Law Scholarship

800 S. Tucker Drive

Tulsa, Ok 74104