Jeffrey Andrew Fillman

Jeffrey Andrew Fillman, of Lakeville, CT and Madison, NJ passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 3rd, 2022, surrounded by members of his family. An Attorney, Professor, and beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother and Uncle, he was 87 years old.

Jeffrey is survived by his children Sarah Bradley, of Madison, NJ, Joshua, of Wellesley, MA, and Deborah of Charlotte, NC, his son-in-law John (Jack) Bradley, daughter-in-law Danielle Brick, and eleven grandchildren: Max and Schuyler Fuchsman; Max, Luke, Emma and Jake Bradley; Braden and Sloane Fillman; and Emma, Lily and Catherine Boone. He is also survived by his loving brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Susan Fillman (nee Dimond), and his sister Caryl Kaplan of Oak Ridge, TN.

Jeffrey was born November 5th, 1934 in New York City, and was a life-long baseball fan, though he adored the Yankees in particular. He spent his childhood in Manhattan, but after cutting school to sneak into Yankee Stadium one too many times, his parents decided Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts might be a better environment for him. After Deerfield, Jeffrey, like his father, Henry, before him, attended Amherst College in MA. After graduation from Amherst in 1955, he enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. As a member of the Law Review, he edited articles written by future Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and was implored on more than one occasion to turn down his music by a studious first year named Antonin Scalia.

After Harvard, he was first employed at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City before taking a job in Chicago at Northwestern Law School. Jeffrey came back to the east coast in the late 1960's and returned to practicing law in Manhattan. A lifelong supporter of Israel, Jeffrey had the privilege for many years of representing the Israeli Defense Forces as their attorney in contract matters. Jeffrey, Susan, and their children moved to Lakeville, Connecticut in the 1980's, and while Jeffrey continued to practice law, he never lost his interest in teaching and education. He fulfilled that interest as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut Law School and Trinity College.

Jeffrey was a lover of scuba diving, and volunteered for years at the New England Aquarium while he lived in Charlestown, MA. He pursued his interest in Marine Biology with travels to the Galapagos Islands, Fiji, the Philippines, and Yucatan peninsula just to name a few.

He was also an avid golfer and a member of the Sharon Country Club in Sharon, CT for over 30 years. In retirement he enjoyed his weekly golf league with fellow members and managed to accrue a remarkable five holes-in-one of the course of his life.

In his later years, Jeffrey spent a great deal of time in Madison, NJ where he was lucky to be near his devoted daughter Sarah, her husband Jack, and their six children.

Jeffrey will be dearly missed, but the impact of his love and wisdom on all those who knew him will remain as cherished as it is undeniable.