Joseph McLaughlin, Lawyer, Philanthropist, Dies at 67

January 18, 2012 By Henrik Krogius Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Joseph T. McLaughlin of Brooklyn Heights, a lawyer with philanthropic interests, especially in the areas of children’s and family welfare, succumbed on January 8 after a short bout with pancreatic cancer.  He was 67.
 
Born March 30, 1944, in Boston, he was a graduate of Boston College and Cornell Law School.  He had lived in the Heights since 1969.  For twenty-five years he was a corporate litigator as partner of the New York firm Shearman & Sterling, retiring in 1997, after which he joined Credit Suisse First Boston.  As a member of the JAMBS private alternative disputes resolution provider, he heard cases around the world.  He also performed much pro bono legal work.
 
One great interest was Intenational House, where McLaughlin was secretary to the board, and he was active in recruiting prominent speakers to address forums held there.
 
Amy and Caitlin McLaughlin, his daughters, recalled his “great laugh” and his love of excursions, such as a hiking trip in Alaska, and his fondness for music, which influenced his buying a vacation home in the Berkshires, convenient to Tanglewood.  He was also an enthusiast of sailing and tennis, they said.  He was a member of the Heights Casino.
 
His daughter Caitlin fondly remembered being taken on sails as a young girl on the family boat, Duxbury Duck, out of Duxbury, Mass. “He loved to help people whether he knew them or not,” she added in an e-mail, “he always believed that everyone deserved a chance or a second chance and that you should always do what’s right and just.”
 
McLaughlin is survived by his wife of 44 years, Christine, whom he met at a dance at age 19; by his two daughters, Amy of San Francisco and Caitlin of Manhattan, and his son Ian, of Brooklyn.
 
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, January 28, 11 a.m., at Grace Church of Brooklyn Heights. The family suggests that contribution in his memory may be made to Good Shepherd Services, c/o Sr. Paulette LoMonaco, Executive Director, 305 Seventh Avenue. 9th floor, New York, NY 10001.
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