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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Nov '97
Ralph Louis Ellis
No. 15458 Class of 1946
Died 3 August 1993 at New York City, New York, aged 68 years.
Interment: Montefiore Cemetery, St. Albans, New York
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Ralph was born 8 March 1925 in Brooklyn, NY. He
graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1941 and attended
Brooklyn College from 1941 to 1943. He joined the Class of 1946
on 1 July 1943.
Cadet life was interesting for Ralph. His innate
sense of humor and quick wit made him popular with his classmates
but some upperclassmen failed to see the humor. George Benson,
'45, pinned the nickname of Lippy on Ralph because of his predilection
to pop off and his love of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Leo (Lippy)
Durocher. An upperclassman asked him what part of the south he
was from (based on his frequent response of "Yes, Suh"
when questioned. His answer, "South Brooklyn, Suh",
brought down the house and gained him much upper class attention.
He was extremely bright, especially in the humanities. Ralph
graduated a second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps.
Following graduation, Ralph attended the Quartermaster
School at Camp Lee, VA. His first assignment was to Korea in
1947. While in Korea he transferred to Cavalry. In 1949, he returned
to the States to Fort Meade, MD. In March 1950, Ralph decided
to leave the Army for civilian life. He immediately entered Fordham
Law School and graduated in 1953. He was Editor in Chief of its
Law Review.
Ralph practiced law with the firm of Shea &
Gold (and its predecessors) in New York City. He was a partner
in the firm for twenty-three years. In 1983, he left Shea &
Gold to start a partnership with Arthur N. Abbey, Abbey &
Ellis. It became the second largest plaintiff's stockholder litigation
firm in the country based largely on Ralph's reputation as a
well respected litigator and his ability to handle large corporate
litigation.
Ralph's first marriage of 40 years was dissolved
in 1989. He married Sheila Paperny in 1992. He continued his
practice of law at Abbey & Ellis until his death on 3 August
1993. He is survived by his wife, Sheila; daughters, Andrea,
Barbara and Donna; son, David and a brother, Joel.
There is no doubt about his prowess as an attorney;
he gained national prominence in his field. The mark of the man,
Ralph L. Ellis, is best stated by the remembrances of his family
and associates.
Charles E. Simpson recalled: "I met Ralph
Ellis in 1977 as a young associate at Shea & Gold. Ralph
was the Managing Partner of the entire firm and head of the litigation
department. He was a leader in the firm and well liked by all
of the associates. He took me, the only African American attorney
out of 100 attorneys, under his wing, made me welcome and introduced
me to the law. He was the partner in charge of all my clients
and matters. He taught me organization, diction, bearing and
integrity in the practice of law and life. Ralph was well liked
and respected by every member of the firm and among the members
of the bar. He treated friend and foe alike with kindness and
courtesy. From June 1983 until his death in 1993, Ralph practiced
with Abbey & Ellis where he earned a reputation as a leading
class action and shareholder derivative action attorney. There
are literally millions of shareholders in corporations acquired
or merged during the leveraged buyout days of the 1980's who
owe collectively, hundreds of millions of dollars to the expertise
that Ralph brought to bear on their behalf. Next to his family,
Ralph loved the United States Military Academy. He displayed
his commission to the Academy and as an officer in the Army and
it was one of the few nonlegal related activities that Ralph
engaged in. He remained an officer until the day he died."
Ralph's youngest daughter, Donna, expressed her
memories of her beloved father: "Even though Dad left West
Point some 50 years ago, West Point never left my Dad. There
were telltale signs of Dad's pride in being a graduate. There
was the West Point ring he always wore. It was a big ring with
a stone that looked like a ruby. That was his trademark. On the
few occasions he left in on his bureau, I would pick it up, examine
it and try it on. I looked at it with awe, admiring it because
it was my Dad's treasured West Point ring.
"As I grew older, I used to brag that Dad
never lost a case, and he would 'correct' me to say that he settled
them! Lippy certainly chose a career where his wisecracks could
be put to good use! Early in my career as an attorney, I worked
for a solo practitioner who took in an assortment of legal matters.
Dad used to say that I practiced 'real people's law.' I used
to consult with him regarding my cases, and he would give me
pointers. Particularly astonishing was his ability to remember
all the teachings of law school, the teaching I, like most lawyers,
soon lost after graduation. When I would tell Dad that his knowledge
of law surpassed all, he would always say, 'Donna, when you've
practiced law for 30 years, you develop a feel for the law and
even if you don't know the answer, you'll figure it out.' The
most incredible quality my Dad had was his ability to love his
four children equally and specially. Dad's heart was big enough
to give each of us a special and exclusive place. In closing,
I think Dad's greatest achievement was being a father and mine
was being Dad's favorite youngest daughter. I thank my Dad every
day for the warm memories he left me."
To these words of love, respect and affection,
the Class of 1946 can only add: "Well Done, Ralph; Be Thou
At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and his family
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