Obituary of Murray Falk

Murray Herbert Falk 1/18/1929 - 1/27/ 2017 The Honorable Murray H. Falk passed away on January 27, 2017 at Valley Manor Care Center in Montrose, CO, at the age of “ocho ocho”. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 18, 1929. He and his sisters Thelma and Mae spent their childhood in Leominster, MA, with their mechanical engineer and top notch jazz keyboard player father, Bernard, and Grey Lady mother, Jeannette. After graduating from Worcester Academy and Yale University (Economics), he served as an artillery officer in the 3rd United States Infantry Division in the Korean War, where he saw a good deal of action and earned the Bronze Star. After his honorable discharge from active duty, he married Sara Rita Falk (who became the mother of his two daughters, Kathryn and Elizabeth). His family had founded Independent Lock Company (ILCO) near Leominster, and he worked there in the family business for a short time -- until he realized he was called to the law. At the University of Virginia Law School, he graduated in 1958, number two in his class (a position he treated with great jocularity throughout his life), met (and tutored) underclassman Ted Kennedy, and became active in civil rights with his friend and classmate John Merchant, the first African American to graduate from that law school. After Law School he worked on Wall Street, founded “Republicans for Kennedy” in New York, and continued his law practice and activism after a move to Massachusetts. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts during the Kennedy administration, founded the law firm of Moulton, Looney, Mazzone, Falk, and Markham after that group left the US Attorney’s office, and then served in Washington, DC as a Trial Judge of the United States Tax Court. While at the Tax Court, he met and married his true love, Margie Karsh (formerly of Denver), and eventually they moved to California where he practiced tax law, representing many interesting and some well-known folks, including Bombastic Bushkin. After he retired, he and Margie moved to Arizona. Because his love for the law continued to call, he served as a judicial officer at the Arizona Department of Transportation. He also taught tax law at Golden Gate University, but it competed with his golf game so he was forced to let the teaching go. By the time all was said and done, Judge Falk was a member of the State Bars of NY, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, and California, was always active in the American Bar Association (ABA). He was the former chair of the ABA’s Section of Taxation (among many other professional positions of trust). Murray’s love of music, and his civil rights activism, remained strongholds and hallmarks of his life. He was predeceased by his sweet sister Mae Falk (Ed) Sandler, and his loyal and dear canine companion, Frosty. He is survived by his beloved and wonderful wife, to whom he attributed “my great happiness and my longevity,” Margie Karsh Falk. He is also survived by his stalwart and loving sister, Thelma Falk (Harold) Bargar, his adoring daughters Kathryn Falk Campbell of Los Angeles, and Elizabeth Falk Marques of Lexington Massachusetts, sons-in-law Mark Campbell and Raul Marques, granddaughter Martha Lee Fehrman of Oakland California, grandson Joseph Marques Falk of Maui, Hawaii, his beautiful step children and their families, Melanie Kline and Dr. Craig Hollabaugh (Montrose, CO), whose care and coordination this past year were indispensable, Wendy Thrasher (Arlington TX), Ed Ginsburg (Denver, CO), and Michael Ginsburg (Monroe, UT), grandchildren Josh Kline (Chena), Dan Kline, Nicki Adams (Charlie ), Michelle Gebhart (Cody) , Hannah Bucic-Ginsburg (Andrew), Emma Ginsburg, Mieka Ginsburg, Denna Ginsburg, and 3 ½ great-grandchildren. The family extends its gratitude to the caring staff at Valley Manor in Montrose Colorado. A private service was held at the gravesite at Golden Hill in Denver on January 29, 2017. A memorial celebration will be held there in the fall. The family hopes you will consider a donation to Valley Manor Care Center, 1401 S. Cascade, Montrose, CO 81401.