Irving Novick, retired attorney dies at 98

IRVING NOVICK, a retired lawyer and longtime member of the American Bar  and Louisiana Bar Associations recently died at the age of 98. Novick, who acted as a notary public, was particularly knowledgeable in all practical matters of the law, handling successions and conducting real estate and commercial law for clients. His voluminous collection of legal documents dating back from before Louisiana became a state until 1952 was donated en masse to the Tulane University Howard Tilton Library. Most of these documents were related to the Cadish, Littell and Collins families in and around the Opelousas area.

Novick, who was a resident of Lambeth House, was born in New York City in 1915. Following his graduation from New York University Law School in 1938, he began a long career as an attorney. He became a resident of New Orleans in 1942. During World War II, he was stationed at various military installations in the United States including Camp Plauche in Metairie and Saipan in the Phillipines. As an attorney, he participated in many court martial trials. Under the auspices of General George C. Marshall, Novick was chosen to deliver a weekly lecture on “Why We Fight” to various U.S. Army officers.

After returning from World War II, Novick graduated from Tulane University School and soon became a member of the Louisiana Bar Association in 1947. He was honored in 2007 for 60 years of membership and was additioally a member of  the New Orleans Bar Association. He was a member of Temple Sinai and a past president of Temple Sinai Brotherhood. Novick also served as a former board member of Woldenberg Village.

Novick made headlines in 2011 when it was revealed that a four-inch Japanese detonator he had brought home from the war as a souvenir had turned out to be a live explosive. The detonator he purchased for two quarts of whiskey on Saipan had been polished, engraved with the word “Saipan”and enshrined in a special display case in Novick’s home for decades. Wishing to have the item shipped to his grandson, Novick contacted the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and asked them to certify it was not dangerous to be shipped over a flight from New Orleans. Alerted to the possibility the detonator might have degraded over time, NOPD officers and an FBI agent carefully examined and removed the device from Novick’s home. They later exploded the device at nearby Fort Polk out of precaution for public safety.

Mr.Novick was predeceased by his wife, Bertha Rose Miller Novick, and is survived by daughters, Ann Novick Trevor and Dale Novick Gaber, three grandchildren and five great granddaughters.

A graveside memorial service was conducted by Rabbi Ed Paul Cohn at Hebrew Rest Cemetery #3, 2100 Pelopidas at Frenchmen St on Friday, April 5, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.  A reception for friends followed the service at Lambeth House. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Congregation Temple Sinai, 6227 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, La. 70118 (Endowment Fund) or to the charity of your choice.  Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp Funeral Home of Metairie is in charge of arrangements.