Attorney, leader Fred Bronfin, 95, dies
FRED BRONFIN, a New Orleans native, attorney, and longtime community leader, died on Wednesday, July 23 at the age of 95.
Bronfin actively practiced law for over 45 years with areas of specialty that ranged from estate planning to corporate law, probate, trusts, real estate law and successions. His venerable firm of Bronfin and Heller was a mainstay for over 40 years and has since become part of the new firm of Heller, Draper, Patrick, Horn and Dabney, LLC. He was a member of the New Orleans Estate Planning Council and served as a member of the Tulane Law Review and the New Orleans Bar Association.
Bronfin’s biography appeared in “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in American Law.”
After attending Henry W. Allen Elementary School, Bronfin enrolled next door at the newly-opened Alcee Fortier High School and graduated in 1934. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Tulane University in 1938 and then a Juris Doctor degree in 1941 from the School of Law. In the College of Arts and Sciences he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, an honorary liberal arts fraternity, and in Law School he was elected to the Order of the Coif, the honorary legal society.
Shortly after receiving his law degree, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he was trained to be a fighter director, a relatively new concept, which involved the use of radar to plot the course and interception of approaching enemy aircraft. Radar was also used to locate downed aircraft at that time.
Bronfin saw duty at Midway Island and at Pearl Harbor, where he was a member of the Pacific Fleet Radar Center, and later was Officer in Charge of the Fighter Director School, charged with interpreting the plots of incoming attacking squadrons of planes and to intercept them with fighter planes.
Following the war, he was transferred to Washington and New York to assist in the termination of wartime contracts and evaluation of work in process. He started his longtime law career upon his return to New Orleans.
A believer in the power of community, Bronfin had served on the boards of the Jewish Childrens’ Regional Service, B’Nai Brith, Jewish Family Service, the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana.
He was married twice, first to Saralyn Plantowsky Bronfin, and then to Carolyn Pick Bronfin, both of whom predeceased him. Bronfin is survived by two sons from his first marriage, Dr. Daniel Bronfin (Melanie) and Kenneth Bronfin (Sarina) of Ridgewood, NJ., six grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held, Friday, July 25, 2014 at Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, with visitation from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The service was conducted by Rabbi Ethan Linden.
Private interment followed immediately at Jewish Burial Rights Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, Tulane University, or the Anti-Defamation League. Tharp-Sontheimer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be expressed online here. For more information, call 504-835-2341.
