George Landon Phillips, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi (1980-1994) died on January 26, 2015. He was honored by NAFUSA with an American flag flown over Main Justice and presented to his family at his memorial service. George also served as the Mississippi Commissioner of Public Safety, the top State law enforcement position. He will be honored once again on January 10, 2020, as the Mississippi Department of Public Safety dedicates the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Troop K- District Office in his honor in Biloxi. George Phillips Building Dedication Ceremony 1.10.20
Category Archives: Obituaries
William Ruckelshaus dies at 87
William D. Ruckelshaus, who was the keynote speaker at the NAFUSA conference in Seattle in 2009, died on November 27, 2019, at his home in Medina, Washington. He was 87.
In 1973, Ruckelshaus was named acting FBI director and then deputy attorney general during the time of the Watergate investigation. Attorney General Elliott Richardson appointed Archibald Cox, a Harvard law professor, to investigate the break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex. When Cox requested access to the Oval Office tape recordings of the time immediately after the break-in, President Nixon refused access and ordered the Attorney General to fire Cox. Richardson refused and resigned. Ruckelshaus was then ordered by the White House to fire Cox, and he, too, refused and resigned.
At NAFUSA’s Seattle conference, Ruckelshaus spoke of the “Saturday Night Massacre” publicly for the first time. Click here to read Ruckelshaus keynote speech Remembering Watergate. It is one of the most memorable keynote speeches in NAFUSA history.
Ruckelshaus later served as the administrator of EPA, under appointment by President Ronald Reagan. He attended Princeton University and received his law degree from Harvard.
Robert Morgenthau Dies, 99
Long time NAFUSA member Robert M. Morgenthau passed away at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, after a short illness. He was 99. A dues paying member of NAFUSA until his death, Morgenthau was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in 1961. He served in that position until 1970. He was the only active member of NAFUSA from the Kennedy Administration. He served as the Manhattan District Attorney from 1975 until 2009. He was honored by NAFUSA at its 2010 New York Annual Conference upon his retirement from public service.
Katherine Taylor For The New York Times
He is survived by his second wife Lucinda Franks, whom he married in the 1970s. He was the co-subject of her book, Timeless Love, Morgenthau, and Me, published in 2014.
As is our custom, NAFUSA has requested that an American flag be flown over Main Justice in Mr. Morgenthau’s honor and it will be presented to his family as a token of the regard with which he was held by his colleagues.
Click here to read The New York Times obituary.
Tom Moss Dies
Thomas Elmer Moss, 80, of Blackfoot, Idaho, former U.S. Attorney for Idaho, former Idaho Congressman, and former Bingham County Idaho Prosecutor, died of thyroid cancer Monday, July 30, 2018. He died in his home surrounded by his family.
Tom attended the University of Idaho earning a Bachelors degree and a Juris Doctorate degree. After law school, Tom began a private practice in Southeastern Idaho. Tom held a general law practice in Blackfoot and was elected as Bingham County’s Prosecuting Attorney. He served as prosecutor for Bingham County for over 30 years.
From 2000 to 2001, Tom served in the Idaho State Legislature. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Tom as the United States Attorney for Idaho. While U.S. Attorney, Tom served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). Tom was later appointed as Associate Deputy Attorney General for Violent Crime in Washington D.C. until his retirement in 2010.
Tom married Susan Robison Cleverley on November 13, 2010. In 2012. Tom is survived by seven natural children: Shelly (Brian) Harrington of Blackfoot, Idaho, Michael (Andrea) Moss of South Jordan, Utah, Bradley (Candis) Moss of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Douglas (Lisa) Moss of Alpine, Utah, Mathew (Bobbi) Moss of Cody, Wyoming, Christopher Moss of Blackfoot, Idaho, and Rebecca (Tobias) Simmons of Rexburg, Idaho. He has 28 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and 2 on the way. As is our custom, NAFUSA will request that an American flag be flown over Main Justice in Tom’s honor and presented to his family as a token of the regard in which he was held by his colleagues.
Atley Kitchings Dies
Former United States Attorney Atley Asher Kitchings , Jr. died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on October 4, 2018. He was predeceased by his wife of 71 years, Betty Jane Langley Kitchings. He is survived by his daughter Jane Marlea Kitchings Foster (John) of Birmingham, Alabama, his son, Atley Langley Kitchings (Edie) of Atlanta, Georgia; and four grandchildren.
Atley served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama (1955-1956). He received a law degree from the University of Virginia. Atley was a World War II veteran, serving in the Navy, and after the war remained in the Naval Reserves for 25 years, retiring with the rank of Captain. A celebration of the life of Atley Kitchings took place on October 8, 2018, at Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham.
Tom Ashcraft Dies
Thomas Johnson Ashcraft, 66, of Charlotte, North Carolina, died September 25, 2018 at his home after a long battle with cancer. Tom served as the US Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina from 1987 until 1993. In addition to practicing law, Tom’s career included serving as a legislative aid to the late Senator Jessie Helms in the 1980’s. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the London School of Economics and from the Wake Forest University School of Law.
Tom is survived by his sister, Nicky Wallace of Greenville, SC and nieces and nephews, Monte Stone and her husband, Kirk, Sara Spicer Heath and her husband, Tom, Ben Wallace and his wife, Ginger, Shepard Wallace and his wife, Amanda, Courtney Evans and Emily Evans.
A mass was held on September 29, 2018 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.
Memorials may be sent to Belmont Abby College, 100 Belmont-Mt. Holly Road, Belmont, NC 28012. As is our custom, NAFUSA will request that an Amerian flag be flown over Main Justice in Tom’s honor and presented by NAFUSA to his family.
Stan Bardwell Jr Dies, 78
Flag flown over Main Justice on July 17 in honor of Stan Bardwell
Former U.S. Attorney Stanford O. Bardwell Jr. died at his Baton rouge home on June 9, 2018. He was 78 years of age. Bardwell served as the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana from 1981 to 1986. He also served as the deputy general counsel for the U.S. Energy Department 1986-1988. He is survived by his wife, Leslie Bardwell and his three children, Brian, Patrick and Erin.
As is our custom, at NAFUSA’s request, an American flag was flown over Main Justice on July 17, 2018, and will be presented on by NAFUSA member Ray Lamonica to Stan’s wife Leslie.
Bill Mulligan Dies, 81- NAFUSA’s First President
William J. “Bill” Mulligan, one of the co-founders of NAFUSA, and its first president (1980-81), died on May 1, 2018. Bill graduated from Marquette Law School (60′). He was an Assistant United States Attorney, 1960-1965; United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1974-1978; Assistant Professor, Trial Practice and Civil Procedure, Marquette Law School, 1978-1980; State Bar of Wisconsin, Chairman of Board of Governors, 1983-1984
In 2014 Bill received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquette Law School. He was a shareholder at Davis & Kuelthau, where he was a litigation attorney, and co-chair of the Environmental Team (Of Counsel). Bill’s additional work in the legal community included: Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association, Co-Founder and President, 2003-2004; Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, Chairman of the Board, 1988-2014; Treasurer, 1986-1988, Member of Board of Directors, 1985-Present.
He is survived by his children Kathleen (Brent Kidwell) Mulligan, Thomas (Cassandra Schug) Mulligan, Sara (Craig) Mauermann and Margaret Mulligan, and nine grandchildren.
As is our custom, at the request of NAFUSA an American flag was flown over Main Justice, placed in a commemorative box and presented to his family as a token of the regard with which Bill was held by his colleagues. Bill was honored at a ceremony at the Federal Courthouse in Milwaukee on May 18, 2018. Retired federal judge (and former AUSA) Charles N. Clevert delivered remarks and presented to Bill’s family with the United States flag that had flown over Main Justice in Bill’s honor at the request of NAFUSA. Judge Clevert noted that Bill served wilth great distinction as United States Attorney and was known as a man of great integrity and commitment to the legal community in Wisconsin, both in his government work and private practice. In moving remarks, Judge Clevert choked up when he noted that Bill forever changed Clevert’s life when Bill hired Clevert as the first African-American AUSA in Wisconsin history, putting Clevert on a path that led to him becoming Wisconsin’s first African American federal judge. It is a testament to Bill that he never sought personal recognition for his work in advancing and mentoring many young lawyers in Milwaukee’s legal community.
The presentation was attended by members of Bill’s family, current and former members of the Milwaukee U.S. Attorney’s Office, including current U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Krueger, and other lawyers in the community. NAFUSA was represented by life member Steve Biskupic (ED Wisconsin 2002-2009). In the photograph below, Judge Clevert (left) presents the flag to two of Bill’s daughters, Sara Mauermann (center) and Margaret Mulligan (right). Bill will be greatly missed by the legal community if Milwaukee.
John Raley Dies
John W. Raley, Jr., who served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (1990-1997), died on April 6, 2018. Raley was appointed by President H.W. Bush and reappointed by President Clinton, the only sitting U.S. Attorney to be reappointed at that time. Raley also served as an assistant U.S. Attorney from 1961-1969 and was mayor of Ponca City, Oklahoma (1980-1982), and a municipal judge (2000-2004). He was also a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He was a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Law School. Raley is the author of “Beyond the Gate: My Journey as an Oklahoma Boy.”
A celebration of his life will be held on April 12 at 2 PM at the First Baptist Church in Ponca City, OK. As is our custom, NAFUSA has requested that an American flag be flown over Main Justice in John’s honor and it will be presented to his family as a token of the regard with which he was held by his colleagues.
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