Sidney KAPLAN

1939 - 2020

Long-time resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, died September 29th. Born in Chicago in 1939, to Morris and Lillian Kaplan, Sid was a precocious younger brother to his identical twin sisters, Phyllis (Ivan) Wolfe and Sandra (David) Becker. Growing up on Chicago's south side, Sid relished being part of his extended family, which would gather each Friday night for dinner. He spoke often of how his aunts and uncles collectively helped raise him. Sid credited this with his success and that of his cousins, with whom he remained close throughout his life. In 1957, Sid moved to Minneapolis for the first time to enroll as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota. There, he met Joy Gross, whom he married in 1963. Following college, Sid attended the University of Chicago Law School, reuniting with his childhood friend, Michael Turoff, who was also a member of the class of 1964. When Sid and Michael weren't in class, Sid, Joy, Michael and his wife, Vicki, were developing a lasting friendship among the four of them. After law school, Sid and Joy returned to Minneapolis, where he began his career at Robins Davis and Lyons, after other prominent law firms refused to hire him based on his Jewish faith. Sid's mentor at Robins, Julius Davis, encouraged him to become expert in estate tax planning. To appear more mature, Julie coached Sid to grow a beard, replace his diplomas with art, drive a clean car and wear nice clothes. Sid took the advice to heart, placing an emphasis on his wardrobe, which he later rounded out with an armful of signature bracelets made by his daughter. Sid built a prominent law practice in his 50+ year career. He had a trusting and close relationship with his clients who, as he liked to say, he advised with both "his head and his heart." He was deeply grateful for the loyalty and support of his paralegal of forty years, Judy Thuftedal, and his longtime legal assistants, Miriam Hermes and Joann Gardner. Joy was an integral part of his professional success as well, logging countless "non-billable hours" at social functions with Sid's large client base. Sid was an important mentor to many, but he felt especially lucky to have finished the last 18 years of his practice with Shane Swanson. They approached practicing with a similar love for advising families and their partnership made each other better lawyers. Sid and Joy started their family in 1967 with the birth of their daughter, Alison (Frank White), of Port Townsend, Washington. Their son, Tony (Cindy Rothschild), of Austin, Texas, followed four years later. The family lived by Bde Maka Ska, where Sid ran the lakes each day before work, regardless of weather, and trained for many marathons. Sid was grateful to Joy for being his best friend for over six decades and for creating a warm and loving home to return to at the end of each day. He admired Alison for her strength and artistic talent; he loved Tony's kindness and easy way with people. Sid jumped through hoops to be there for his children, attending all of Tony's baseball games and even traveling to Alison's tennis match by cab when his car broke down at the last minute. Sid was active in the community, serving on the boards of several organizations, including the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and chairing the University Pediatrics Foundation, now part of the University of Minnesota Foundation. He gave generously to the community that welcomed him and gave him opportunity. In addition to his sisters, wife and children, Sid is survived by three grandchildren, Odette Jennings and Jadyn and Neveya Kaplan, and an honorary granddaughter, Nora Brockmann. Each will miss their "Zadie" and the sweet treat bags he always carried. He is also survived by his cat, Hamilton, who sat vigil on Sid's bed the last few weeks of his life. A celebration of Sid's life will be held via Zoom on Sunday, October 11th at 1:00 p.m. (central). Memorials preferred to the Anti-Defamation League, Planned Parenthood North Central States, or Spoon Foundation.