Richard
T. Cassidy passed away on April 21, 2025, at the University of
Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vt., after a valiant struggle
with cancer.
He
was born in Rutland, Vt., on July 13, 1953, to Paul P. Cassidy and S.
Helen Cassidy. He graduated from Mt. St. Joseph Academy in 1971 and
the University of Vermont in 1975. After marrying his beloved Becky
(Burr) in 1974, they relocated to Albany, N.Y., where he attended
Albany Law School at Union University and graduated in 1978. That
summer, after he passed both the New York and Vermont Bar exams, Rich
and Becky moved to Montpelier, Vt., where Rich began a yearlong
clerkship with the Hon. Robert W. Larrow at the Vermont Supreme
Court. The following year he became chief law clerk and worked for
Chief Justice Albert W. Barney. He entered private practice in
Burlington following his clerkships, originally with the firm of
Hoff, Wilson, Powell and Lang, and then with Hoff Curtis.
In
2020 he formed Rich Cassidy Law in South Burlington and practiced
with Matt Shagam and Amanda Lee. Currently
he practiced with his law partner and old friend, Michael
Brow.
He
served his community, state and nation with dedicated enthusiasm.
Governor Howard Dean appointed Rich to the Uniform Law Commission
(ULC) in 1994, and he was reappointed by every successive Vermont
governor and was still serving at the time of his death. He was a
past president of the ULC, and he and Becky delighted in bringing the
annual conference of the commission to Stowe Mountain Lodge in 2016.
He was a member of the Board of Governors of the American Bar
Association (ABA) from 2005-2008 and was chair of the ABA’s
standing committee on the delivery of legal services. He represented
the Vermont Bar Association in the ABA House of Delegates. He was
currently serving on the Vermont Bar Association Board of Managers
and was president-elect. He is a former president of the American
Counsel Association. He chaired the South Burlington School Board
from 2007 through 2013. He proudly served as counsel to the
Burlington Police Officers Association and as a legal analyst for
NBC5.
He
leaves Becky Cassidy, his wife of 50 years, and his sisters, Joanne
(Dick) Navin and Mary (Carl) Mazzariello. He was predeceased by his
sisters Paula (John) Turner, Margaret Cassidy and his brother, Sam
Ingraham. He also leaves his nieces and nephews: Lisa (Stacey
O’Neil), Tony (Donna), and Carla Mazzariello, Mark Navin (Rob
Temoteo), Lisa Fuller (Steve), Rick Navin (Lisa), Tom Navin (Mike
O’Neil), and Krista Navin (Josh Schroeder), Cathy Seguin (Bill),
John Turner (Sharon Cook), Laurie Turner (Senta Mungar), Patty Tervo
(Steve) and Mike Turner (Kelly).
Additionally,
Rich cherished his three granddaughters by affection: Emma Chaffee,
Alexandria Kennedy and Reese Billings.
Rich
loved Lake Champlain and his Queen City Park neighborhood, where he
was a popular walker with his beloved dogs, Baxter and Sophie Ann.
Both dogs learned to pause as human social interaction slowed their
pace but added to the congenial and happy environment in which they
frolicked. Healthier summers saw Rich and Becky launching their
Adirondack guide boat for a row across Shelburne Bay, often with
Baxter or Sophie in the prow. Trained in childhood as a swimming
racer, Rich delighted in stroking across the bay with his identifying
orange swim buoy trailing behind.
Throughout
the last fourteen months, an extraordinary group of friends and
neighbors have supported and assisted Rich and Becky on Rich’s
journey. Our thanks to Dr. Dennis Beatty (Dennis the Archangel);
Julie Beatty; Dr. Julie Olin; Dr. Chris Grace; Dr. Jim Wallace; Paul
Cillo; Andi Higbee; Lori Hayes and Mark Chaffee; Karen Villanti;
Patty, Don and Buffy Malenfant; Sandy Julius; Mike and Deb Brow;
Marcy King; Bob Paolini; Matt Shagam and Courtney Seale; Dr. Nate
Heilman and Therese Fafard; Dr. Annie Kluetmeier; Tom McCormick;
Monsignor Richard Lavalley; Dane and Diane Bacon; Scott Bacon and
Nicki Trottier; Tom Powell and Wendy Bratt; Joy and Jim Grossman;
JoAnne and Reese Billings; the Margulius family; Dan Smith; Carl
Lisman and Deb Smith; and Jeanne Kennedy.
A
celebration of life for Rich will be held at the First Unitarian
Universalist Society, 152 Pearl St., Burlington, VT, on Friday, May
2, at 4 p.m.
In
lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Uniform Law Commission Foundation, 111 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 1010, Chicago, Ill.; the Queen City Police Foundation, PO Box 5804, Burlington, VT 05402; or the
charity of your choice.
Messages
of condolence may be sent to [email protected].