Leonard Mandelbaum was born on July 2, 1933 in New York City to Eastern European immigrant Jewish parents. He grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from New York University, Yale Law School, and American University (Ph.D. in political science).
Len married Emily Curtis from Oneonta, New York in 1961, and they had two daughters. Early in his career, he represented an east coast union and worked for the New York City Ethical Culture Society before moving to Seattle with his family. There, he worked for the American Civil Liberties Union, Puget Sound Council of Governments and Seattle University, where he served as a business law professor and creator of the Institute of Public Service. After retiring from Seattle U and moving to Port Townsend in 1996, Len worked for the establishment of hospice services, the death with dignity initiative, and local mediation services. He identified with the “working man”…and woman. He was an avid supporter of democratic politics and process, mediation for conflict resolution, environmental protection and compassionate dying.
He loved camping, hiking and bird watching, classical and jazz music, folk music and dancing, good humor and discussion. Len died on December 27, 2018 at Jefferson Healthcare hospital from a flare up of the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that he had successfully fought for three decades. He spent his last days in hospice care, surrounded by family, and under the excellent care of nurses, doctors, and CNAs at the hospital. He took a look at “our” wild birds and insisted on filling the birdbath just before going to the hospital. Len is survived by his beloved wife Emily, and his other treasured family members: his two daughters, Ruth Mandelbaum of Port Townsend and Audrey Mandelbaum of Los Angeles; his grandchildren Raven and Ciel Pope and Avi Moore, and his son-in-law David Moore. Contributions may be made in Len’s memory to End of Life Washington, PO Box 61369, Seattle, WA 98141-6369 or https://endoflifewa.org/give/
A small burial service was held with immediate family members at Laurel Grove Cemetery on December 30. A memorial service will be held at a future date to be announced.
