Former State Sen. Julian L. Lapides Dies at 89, Remembered as Strong Advocate for Baltimore City

July 14, 2021 Alan Feiler, Editor-in-Chief

A major presence on Maryland’s political scene for more than three decades, former state Sen. Julian Lee “Jack” Lapides (D-44th) died July 14 of cancer.

The longtime Bolton Hill resident and Beth Am congregant, who was known as “the conscience of the Maryland Senate,” was 89.

“I’m very saddened to hear that my longtime friend and former colleague, Senator Jack Lapides, passed away today,” Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot posted on Facebook. “For more than three decades, Senator Lapides was a tireless advocate for Baltimore in the State House, an unabashed independent political thinker, and a fierce protector of Marylanders’ hard-earned tax dollars. We need more like him in politics today. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

In a statement, the Baltimore City Senate Delegation said, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Senator Julian ‘Jack’ Lapides, a former member of our Delegation. Having served faithfully in the Maryland Senate for nearly 30 years, Jack was greatly admired by his constituents and colleagues. A lawyer by training, when he was named Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, it reaffirmed why we called him ‘the conscience of the Maryland Senate.’ If Jack was supporting legislation, you knew it was because of his strong conviction. Julian ‘Jack’ Lapides represented Baltimore well. His family — and all who loved him — remain in our prayers. We hope that they take small comfort in knowing that his public service greatly benefitted generations of Baltimore.”

A Southwest Baltimore native whose mother owned and operated a grocery store, Lapides attended public schools and graduated from the Baltimore City College in 1949. He attended Johns Hopkins University and then Towson State College (now Towson University), where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1954.

After serving for two years in the U.S. Army, Lapides attended the University of Maryland School of Law. He was admitted to the Maryland State Bar Association in 1965, and was in private practice for more than a half century, largely focusing on estates and trusts.

A Democrat, Lapides served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1963 to 1967. He served in the state Senate from 1967 to 1995. During his tenure, Lapides chaired the Joint Budget and Audit Committee and the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics. In addition, he was a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee and the Public Safety, Transportation, Economic Development and Natural Resources subcommittees.

Lapides also served as a member of the Maryland State Ethics Commission and the Maryland State Arts Council. He was a member of the American Antiquarian Society, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum and the Victorian Society in America, as well as a life member of the NAACP.

In a statement, the Baltimore Heritage preservation group wrote of Lapides, who was a past president and board member, “His death has saddened us in too many ways to count. And his legacy and impact on Baltimore, Maryland, and indeed the country, is also too expansive to properly capture.”

Local television broadcaster Richard Sher wrote on the memorial page of Sol Levinson & Bros., “Jack was truly one of the really good guys. Always accessible to the news media. Always smiling! I was honored to know him through my 35 years at WJZ. He was one of a kind and will be missed.”

In addition to his wife of 57 years, Linda Lapides (nee Fishman), Julian Lapides is survived by his niece, Tammy Pegg (John) Kienlen; nephews, Philip (Eirini) Lapides and Edward Bloom; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Nancy and Richard Bloom; and numerous relatives, friends, and admirers.

He was predeceased by his parents, Doris Racusin Lapides and Solomon Morris Lapides; as well as his sister, Myrna Rita Lapides; and his brother, Joseph William “Jerry” Lapides.

Julian Lapides will be buried at Arlington Cemetery of Chizuk Amuno Congregation, 4450 N. Rogers Ave., on Monday, July 19, at 10 a.m. A shiva service will be held in his memory at Beth Am Synagogue, 2501 Eutaw Place, that evening at 7, to be followed by a dessert reception.

Contributions in his memory may be sent to Baltimore Heritage Inc., 100 N. Charles St., Suite P101, Baltimore, Md. 21201, or the charity of your choice.

“While we spent years together at Beth Am, it was in the Senate that I really got to know, love and respect Jack,” wrote former State Sen. Paula C. Hollinger (D-11th). “He was the integrity of the Senate, never shied away from the battle and as an aside, he made me proud to be Jewish!”