RICHARD THACKERAY RADSCH

Born: November 16, 1939
Died: April 10, 2008

Richard T. Radsch was born in New York City, son of Robert H. Radsch (B.A. 1931, LL.B. 1934) and Virginia Winmill Radsch. He prepared for Yale at St. Mark's School, Southborough, Massachusetts. Because Dick's father was a lawyer engaged in an international practice, the family lived in Paris in the late 1940's. While there Dick attended the neighborhood French school and was even a French boy scout. Because of this he was fluent in French but, as Dick would say, "only with the vocabulary of a 9 year old boy."

At Yale Dick was a resident of Berkeley College where he was a member of the Berkeley Players and president of the Debate Club. He majored in Philosophy.

After graduation, Dick attended Officer Candidate School, Newport, Rhode Island and was commissioned in the U.S. Navy. He served two tours in the Western Pacific aboard the mine sweeper U.S.S. Esteem in Japan and off Vietnam. After release from the Navy, Dick attended Boston University School of Law where he received his J.D. in 1972. He then began a lifelong career in the insurance industry.

Dick started as a litigator with John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company in Boston, then moved to the property and casualty side of the business and later to Aetna Insurance Company, part of the Connecticut General Insurance Group, in Hartford. He handled many legal issues surrounding that company's merger with INA which created CIGNA Insurance Company. As part of the legal team he relocated to CIGNA's headquarters in Philadelphia. In 1989 he became General Counsel for the newly formed Reliance National Insurance Company in New York where he developed a dynamic and skilled legal team for the new company. Subsequently, he moved into the field of special risks. He also appeared in these years as a moderator on CNBC's "The Premium Dollar" TV series.

In 1999 Dick joined Kemper Insurance Company. On September 11, 2002, while with Kemper he was working in the North Tower of the World Trade Center when it was hit by the first plane. He was fortunately able to walk down 37 floors to safety before the tower collapsed. In 2003 Dick joined XL Insurance Company working with its general counsel, who was one of the young lawyers he had recruited when developing his legal staff at Reliance National 15 years earlier. Dick said he felt this move brought his legal career full circle, from a young lawyer just learning the ropes to becoming a mentor for the next generation.

Dick and his wife Lee Haines Radsch were married on April 1, 1977. They settled in Summit, New Jersey in 1989 where they raised three children, Christopher B. Radsch of West Caldwell, New Jersey, Amanda R. Wipperman of Manhattan and Gwendolyn Radsch of Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amanda is with a Bloomberg business unit providing services to lawyers. Her husband Scott is on Wall Street. Gwendolyn does marketing research about teens and pre-teens. Dick's first wife, Barbara B. Radsch, Christopher's mother, predeceased him.

Dick was active in many charitable causes, including the Overlook Hospital, Summit, New Jersey. He was a regular blood and platelet donor at the hospital's blood bank. He was also a fanatical tennis player and devotee of the professional tournaments.

His Yale roommate, Chris Snow, recalled that at Yale Dick "introduced me to the delights of high society in New York City and on Long Island." "It was, "Chris said, "heady stuff." Chris also admitted that Dick had taught him to make "the perfect martini," a difficult skill which has required constant practice to maintain, no mean feat for someone with a Mormon background, Chris confessed. Chris and Dick kept in close contact over the years. In the 1990's, while visiting his mother who was then living in Switzerland, Dick and his family frequently visited Chris who was in diplomatic posts in London, Brussels and Paris.

Dick died after a courageous battle with a rare form of lymphoma. Despite his illness he had been able to enjoy attending our 45th Reunion in June 2007. In addition to Lee and their children Dick was survived by Amanda's husband Scott, his brother Peter of Altadona, California, his sister Victoria Townsand of Kirkland, Washington and his brother Robert (B.A. 1965) of Manhattan.

The family asked that donations in his memory be made to the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation/The Clara Goy Foundation, 360 Essex Street, Suite 301, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601.

Dick's comment in our 25th Reunion Class Book provides a fitting epitaph: "Life is a lot more living than learning about!"