MKA Mourns Death of Chief Justice Robert Clifford, Class of 1942

It was with great sadness that MKA learned of the death of New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Robert "Bob" Clifford, Montclair Academy Class of 1942, on Saturday, November 29, 2014 at the age of 89. A loyal member of his class, Justice Clifford was the MKA Distinguished Alumni Award recipient in l998.

Born in Passaic in 1924, Bob served in the Navy during World War II after graduating from MA, received a bachelor's degree in English from Lehigh University in 1947 and a law degree from Duke University in 1950. He was appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1973, where he wrote several key opinions, including 1988's State vs. Gerald, that narrowed the scope of the death penalty. Bob retired from the Supreme Court at age 70 (the mandatory age), having served for over 21 years - the third-longest tenure in the modern history of the court. He was most recently counsel to the Morristown law firm of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter.

In a statement following his death, the Supreme Court noted: "His colleagues described him as a man of elegance and dignity, and one whose love of language was legendary in court lore and evidenced in the opinions he wrote."

MKA extends deepest sympathies to Bob's wife, Ruth; three sons from a previous marriage: Jack, Robert, and Michael; and multiple grandchildren.