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Family, colleagues pay tribute to attorney Duane Isham
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: March 26, 2021
A textbook example of how a lawyer should conduct oneself professionally and personally—that’s how former colleagues sum up the life of Roetzel & Andress attorney Duane Lawrence Isham.
Isham, who devoted decades to giving back to the legal profession and the greater Akron community, passed away peacefully on Feb. 1, after a short battle with cancer. He was 91.
“My dad was an amazing person, who brought out the best in a lot of people,” said Isham’s son John. “He was a fantastic role model for my sister Laurie and me. He was responsible for our interest in current affairs, culture and music.
“He took my sister and me to violin lessons, introduced us to Broadway shows in New York City and regularly subscribed to performances at E.J. Thomas and other local venues.
“Dad was such an observant guy,” said John. “He noticed the smallest details, which is what made him such a good lawyer and the person you wanted to have serving on your board or committee. Over the past 18 months, he and I got to spend a great deal of time together and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that.”
“Dad was devoted to his children and his grandchildren,” said his daughter Laurie Schueler, senior corporate communications specialist at Akron Children’s Hospital. “Despite his busy schedule, he made every orchestra recital, soccer match, track meet and swim meet a priority. He loved being there to support and cheer on his kids.
“Dad was an amazing listener,” said Schueler. “He was a great counselor to his family, his clients and his community partners. He was the go-to person for many people who wanted to kick around an idea or discuss how to solve problems. He had a knack for helping people to discover the answers themselves, serving as a sounding board and asking all the right questions to help discover solutions.”
“Duane was a beloved colleague, who made us better for being here and raised our stature and profile in the community,” said Robert Blackham, chairman and chief executive officer of Roetzel & Andress. “Duane was a gentleman, who led by example. He was meticulous in his approach to the practice of law and highly respected for his professionalism and integrity.”
Born in Akron on July 31, 1929, he was one of Donovan and Cretora Isham’s three sons.
Isham graduated from John R. Buchtel High School in 1947.
“Dad was an accomplished piano player and saxophonist, and during his high school years was the leader of a dance band that played throughout the Akron area,” said John.
Isham received his bachelor’s degree in business administration and his juris doctorate from The Ohio State University. After getting his law degree in 1953, he spent the next year teaching torts at the law school.
He then served in the U.S. Air Force JAG Corps at Perrin Air Force Station (now closed) in Texas for two years, where he prosecuted and defended military personnel in court marshal proceedings.
Isham started working as an associate at the firm now known as Roetzel & Andress on Feb. 1, 1957.
In his 2020 interview with the Akron Legal News, Isham discussed his time at the firm stating, “I always had a corporate practice,” he said. “I represented a number of large clients over the years in transactional matters. I also argued cases at the court of appeals, but I was not primarily a trial lawyer.
“It wasn’t long after I made partner that I became the lead lawyer in our group,” Isham said during the interview.
Roetzel & Andress shareholder Ronald Kopp said Isham was one of his early mentors at the firm.
“Duane interviewed me for the job here about 42 years ago,” said Kopp, a former managing partner of the firm’s Akron office. “He remained a mentor throughout my career.
“Duane was an accomplished corporate lawyer and a former member of our firm’s management committee,” said Kopp. “His clients looked to him not only for legal advice but also more broadly for business advice. He was often asked to serve on his clients’ boards.
“Duane was an inspiring man and an amazing human being,” said Kopp.
While Isham officially retired from Roetzel & Andress in 1995, he maintained an office at the firm and continued to go in regularly until the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Duane was a welcomed participant in our firm, long after his retirement,” said Brian Moore, Shareholder-in-Charge of the Akron office. “He inspired many young lawyers at Roetzel, including myself to become leaders giving back to our community and our profession.
“He was the type of lawyer you would want to emulate both in his professionalism and volunteerism,” said Moore. “Not many lawyers come to the office regularly after retiring and continue to do the amount of community work that he did. He was truly a great man, who will be missed by his friends and colleagues.”
A longtime member of the Akron Bar Association, Isham served on the board of trustees in the early 1970s and as president from 1974-75. He was also a former president of the Akron Bar Foundation and a member of the Ohio State Bar Association.
Isham became active in the community as a young attorney.
A co-founder of Akron Roundtable, he served on the boards of Akron Regional Development and Tuscora Park Health & Wellness Foundation (formerly Barberton Citizens Hospital) and as vice president of Summit County Red Cross.
He was also a former chair and member of the Salvation Army board, a past president and board member of Akron Community Foundation and a former two-time board chair of Akron Children’s Hospital. In 2021, he was named director emeritus, after over 50 years of service on the hospital board.
Akron Children’s Hospital Chief Executive Officer Emeritus Bill Considine said it’s impossible to adequately describe how important Isham was to advancing the hospital’s mission.
“Duane was a special man with an amazing intellect,” said Considine. “He appreciated the institution’s long history, but believed that an innovative approach was needed to keep the hospital moving forward.
“He put service above self throughout his life,” said Considine. “He had a wonderful way with people and was a mentor to a lot of people, including myself.”
In 2012, the Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation presented Isham with a Champion for Children’s award. He also received the H. Peter Burg Community Leadership Award from the Red Cross and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law National Alumni Council’s Community Service Award, among others.
Most recently, the Akron Bar Association selected Isham as the 2020 recipient of the prestigious Sir Thomas More Award.
“I did not know Duane personally, but he was a force in the Akron legal community for a long time,” said Akron Bar Association President Hamilton DeSaussure Jr. “Duane gave back in so many ways over the years. His passing is a great loss to this community.
“It’s because of people like Duane that the bar association is now working to gather an oral history of our legal legends, so they are never forgotten,” said DeSaussure.
Isham had many interests and hobbies, but his son John said playing golf was “one of his greatest joys in life.”
A longtime member and two-time president of Portage Country Club and a former member of Fairlawn Country Club, Isham was a finalist in the golf championships of both clubs, winning it twice at Portage in 1986 and 1992.
“Dad was proud to shoot four holes-in-one, two at Fairlawn and two at Portage,” said John.
“Because of the pandemic, we went on a lot of drives together and took a lot of walks. My sister Laurie and her husband Hank live nearby so we spent a lot of time at their house too. Dad just loved to be around his granddaughters.
“Dad is a die-hard sports fan and under ordinary circumstances, we would have attended Ohio State games together last year, but instead, we spent the time watching all of Downton Abbey, The Crown and lots of Charlie Chaplin films,” said John.
“We took a lot of family trips together over the years, visiting many places in and outside the U.S., including the Italian Riviera and Morocco.”
“Even in leisure, dad had an active mind and was interested in so many things,” said Schueler. “Astronomy, chess, sports, music and crosswords were just a few of his pastimes. He was so knowledgeable and we were lucky that he took the time to share his passion for his hobbies with us.”
A memorial service will be held in the future.
Isham is survived by his son John, daughter Laurie Schueler (Hank) and granddaughters Jane and Sarah.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Joan (née Freitag) and brothers Jerome and Noel.