Obituary of Albert Radcliffe

Albert RadcliffeA celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts for Albert E. Radcliffe of Eugene, who died Jan. 19 of a pulmonary embolism. He was 63.A private inurnment will be held at Rest-Haven Memorial Park.He was born April 23, 1947, in Portland to Paul and Beatrice Price Radcliffe. He married Nancy Goldsherry in 1976 in Eugene.He graduated from South Eugene High School in 1965. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in history in 1969 and from the UO Law School in 1972. He served in the Army ROTC.He worked in private practice before serving as a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge for 27 years.Survivors include his wife; and two daughters, Crystalyn Bush of St. Helens and Jennifer Radcliffe of Creswell.Arrangements by Musgrove Family Mortuary in Eugene. Remembrances to the University of Oregon Law School Loan Repayment Assistance Program or the American Cancer Society.A Celebration of Life was held on January 28, 2011, at the John G. Shedd Institute in Eugene for the Honorable Albert E. Radcliffe, United States Bankruptcy Judge, who passed away January 19, 2011 at the age of 63, of a pulmonary embolism. Al was born April 23, 1947 in Portland, Oregon, to Paul and Beatrice Radcliffe. He graduated from South Eugene High School in 1965 and received a BA in History in 1969 from the University of Oregon. He earned his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1972. Al was a member of the ROTC and a Captain in the U.S. Army. He married Nancy Goldsberry in September 1976. They have two daughters, Crystalyn and Jennifer. Al was a Charter Member of Southtowne Rotary. He was a Paul Harris Fellow and also a Sustaining Member of supporting the Rotary Foundation. In private practice he had extensive experience representing debtors, creditors and trustees in bankruptcy proceedings. He was appointed to the bench in December, 1983, and served as Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Oregon from October, 1999 to September, 2005. While in that capacity, he was Chair of the Ninth Circuit Conference of Chief Bankruptcy Judges from October, 2004 to September, 2005. Al was a member of the Oregon State Bar and was admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was active in the Oregon State Bar's Debtor/Creditor Section, serving on its Executive Committee and Continuing Education Subcommittee. Last year, Al received the Section's Award of Merit. In 2000, Al taught Creditor's rights at the University of Oregon School of Law as an Adjunct Professor. He was active in the Lane County Bar Association and was a member of the Association's Bankruptcy Committee. He was also a member of the Roland K. Rodman Inns of Court. Al was an exemplary jurist. His brand of justice elevated the tangible over the abstract. He was learned in the law, yet practical in applying it. He never forgot that behind the pages in a file stood real people with real problems. He treated all who appeared before him with dignity and respect, going out of his way to allow people unable to afford an attorney a fair opportunity to be heard. He was also a pleasure to work with. More than a boss to his chambers staff, Al was a colleague and friend. His self-effacing humor lightened even the most trying days. The entire court staff felt privileged to work with him. He went out of his way to connect with each person, greeting everyone with a smile, a kind word, and that trademark twinkle in his eye. Al was a true-blue Oregonian. He loved the coast and Cascades, never failing to notice the tint of the sky or the crispness in the air. He had a second home in Black Butte where he'd retreat to relax with friends and family. Despite his self-proclaimed "O-L-D" disease and "Advanced Birthday Syndrome", Al stayed active. He downhill-skiied his entire adult life. In his later years, he called his technique "school-bus" skiing, in reference to the many stops he made. That was typical Al, putting a funny spin on aging. Al always looked forward to his weekly racquetball games with his cousin, Matt, and the mandatory soak and steam afterwards. His golf games, where his scoring was as creative as his solutions to complex legal problems, were mainly an excuse to spend a few hours with friends. On Fall Fridays, out came the green and yellow ties as a prelude to the following day spent with his beloved Ducks. He didn't care that they lost the Championship game; he was proud they made it there. Al gave mealtimes the respect they deserved, practicing "slow food" before it became a movement. His love for chocolate was a guilty pleasure. He preferred to see it as a health food, as he did with Iced-tea, which he drank daily. He was such a regular at several local restaurants that the staff there grew to love him as family. Despite the exigencies of his professional life, family always came first for Al. He was a devoted husband and father. He and Nancy confronted life's challenges as a team and, for almost 35 years, they shared their joys and sorrows lovingly. Despite a jammed court docket, Al would always make time for his daughters, Crystalyn and Jennifer, both his pride and joy. He'd never tire of bragging about them. When they married, he was delighted to welcome his sons-in-law, Billy, and Nick and his children, Jessica and Andrew, into the family. He was also devoted to his friends. He treated each with a generosity, that at times, was humbling. In a world growing more and more detached by technology, Al maintained personal connections. He was "old-school" preferring face-to-face to Facebook. Al left us too soon. As husband, father, friend, and judge he enriched hundreds of lives. We will miss him deeply. Musgrove Family Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements.