Richard E. Doling, forever known as “Dick” to his family and friends, 76, passed away after a brief illness in Albany, NY on May 14, 2021. Born in Albany and raised there by his parents, Evelyn and Irving, Dick graduated from Milne High School in 1962 and Brown University in 1966. He entered Albany Law School the same year and graduated near the very top of his class in 1969. From there he followed in his father’s footsteps and began a successful career as an attorney and member of the New York State and Florida bars. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for DC and the Northern District of NY. He later worked for the New York State Department of Corrections and in private practice in Albany and Troy, where he provided excellent legal advice to his numerous and grateful clients.
Dick married his beloved wife, Judy, on August 22, 1971. During their long and loving partnership, they proudly raised their successful daughters Amy and Rachel, and became devoted grandparents to Molly, Cooper, and Leah. For Dick, no matter how much time he spent with his children and grandchildren, it was never enough.
Dick’s interests and talents extended far beyond his work as a lawyer. His father was a jazz pianist and that was the start of Dick’s lifelong love of jazz music. As a student at Brown, he had his own jazz program on the university radio station WBRU. He was an avid golfer, great chef getting up at 4:00 am to start the Thanksgiving turkey, and a master at solving NYT crossword puzzles. And he took special joy in the trips to Florida he shared with Judy, where he’d sit on a balcony smoking a favorite cigar and watching the sunset.
In addition to Judy, his daughters, and grandchildren, Dick is survived by his son-in-law Joel, brother Stuart, nephews David and Mark, niece Jennie, mother-in-law Sophie Lavine, brother-in-law Howard, and many cousins and friends.
Dick will be buried in a private ceremony at Beth Emeth Cemetery in Loudonville, NY on Tuesday, May 18. Contributions are welcome at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, www.mskcc.org.
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