Murray Janus ’60

Murray Janus ’60 died January 26 in Richmond, Virginia, his lifelong home. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “Life is too short to be so small.” This is certainly true of Murray’s life. It was too short for many of us and he lived it large. Murray always credited Dartmouth as assisting his acceptance into the University of Virginia Law School. As a trial lawyer he successfully defended clients in court and gained recognition being elected president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and member of the John Marshall Inn of Court. Murray committed his energies to many worthwhile causes, chief among them the Southern Poverty Law Center office in Atlanta. Further, Murray served as national commissioner of the Anti-Defamation League and president of the Nuremberg Courtroom Committee of the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Murray is the one who inspired our class to make sure the Kaddish is read

at every class memorial worship service. Now we will read the Kaddish for him. Our class has been blessed for having known him. Murray is survived by his family, which gave him joy. He credited his wife, Shelly, for a delightful life after “fate brought us together…after she turned me down for Winter Carnival 41 years ago,” according to his entry in the 2000 More Musings. Other surviving family members include daughters Laurie and Beth; stepsons Steven, Kenneth and Sam; eight grandchildren; and sister Shirley.