Known as the “Father of Pro Bono in Maryland,” Herbert S. Garten, retired chairman of the Fedder & Garten law firm in Owings Mills, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The Long Beach, New York, native and longtime Baltimore resident was 96.
A Chizuk Amuno congregant and 2023 inductee of the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame, Garten practiced law in the area for more than seven decades.
He was a past president of the Maryland State Bar Association, as well as a leader at the state and national levels in encouraging lawyers to engage in voluntary pro bono civil legal services for the poor.
In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Garten, a Democrat, to the board of the federal Legal Services Corporation. His appointment was subsequently confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
In a memorial post on the website of Sol Levinson & Bros., Rabbi David E. Herman, former spiritual leader of Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue, described Garten as “a first-class human being, gentleman, amazing attorney, family man and a very proud Jew! When he greeted you his entire face lit up. His warm personality came straight from his heart! He fought tirelessly for all of the cantors in America winning their recognition as clergy by the IRS in a historic landmark decision in the 1960s which is still the law of the land. He was brilliant, warm, witty, caring, generous and engaging. Herb was wise not only in tax law but in Judaic matters as well.
“Whether he supported the Cantors Assembly of America, Towson University, Boys Town Jerusalem Foundation, Maryland Bar Association or many other worthy charities and causes, Herb Garten was always the first to be counted upon to help out,” wrote Rabbi Herman. “He was sincere and genuine and did not have a phony bone in his body. What you saw was what you got. His advice was always spot on. If he was your friend , you had no better friend/mentor than Herb Garten.”
A 1945 graduate of Bordentown Military Institute in New Jersey, Garten received a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and his law degree from the University of Maryland. He was admitted to the Maryland State Bar Association in 1952, the same year he joined the Fedder & Garten firm.
“I’ve only had one job in all these years,” Garten said in an oral history video interview with Towson University.
In addition to being an attorney, Garten was a certified public accountant. During the early years of his career, he was a law school lecturer in federal taxation law.
Garten served as general counsel for a number of national organizations. He also served co-chair of The Associated’s Lawyers Division, president of the Towson State University Foundation, and president of the Baltimore chapter of the American Jewish Committee. From 1985 to 1989, Garten served as co-chair of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
Among the honors he received during his career were the Towson State University Foundation Award, the Kavod Award from the Cantors Assembly, The Daily Record’s Leadership in Law Award, and the Benjamin L. Cardin Pro Bono Service Award from the University of Maryland.
In 2004, the Maryland Legal Services Corporation established an award in Garten’s name and honor.
Garten is survived by his children, Alan F. M. (Lisa) Garten, Ilene S. Garten (Tom Brady), and Morris “Maury” L. (Alice) Garten; his daughter-in-law, Marquart Doty (Hal Taft); his grandchildren, Leete (Jamie) Garten, Stephen (Katherine) Garten, Lindsay Garten (Andrew Marmer), Zachary Garten, Leanne Garten, Danielle Garten, Hillary (David) Alexander and Benjamin (Audrey) Snyder; and his great-grandchildren, Jackson, Holden and Sutton Garten, Grant and Reed Alexander, Cole and Jackson Snyder and Julia Marmer.
He was predeceased in 2019 by his wife of 69 years, Susan Garten (nee Fedder); his children, Lynne M. Garten and Lawrence M. Garten; his brother, Arthur (Molly) Garten; his sister, Lynnore (George) Moss; his brother-in-law, Joel (Ellen) Fedder; his parents, Florence and Irving Garten; and his parents-in-laws, Morris and Bess Fedder.
Services were held on Friday, Jan. 31, at Sol Levinson’s Chapel, 8900 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. Interment at Beth Tfiloh Cemetery, 5660 Windsor Mill Road.
Contributions in Garten’s memory may be directed to the The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, 5700 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21215 or Maryland Pro Bono Resource Center, Attn: Elizabeth Grove, 1500 Union Avenue, Suite 2400, Baltimore, Maryland 21211.
Israeli-Americans Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin talked about the pain of losing their 23-year-old son, who was kidnapped and later murdered in the Oct. 7th tragedy.
A committed philanthropist and community leader, Russel was president of R&H Motors.
The mother of four was a native of Winchester, Virginia, who spent most of her life in Northwest Baltimore.
The Columbia resident worked on the Gemini and Apollo space missions.