Barrier Free Living mourns the loss of Mr. Jack Fritts, an early board member of the agency.

The following obituary is from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.

We mourn the passing of our former partner and firm chairman, John F. (Jack) Fritts. Mr. Fritts, 86, who passed away earlier this week.

A giant in the New York legal community, Mr. Fritts joined the firm in 1959 following his undergraduate studies at Princeton University and his law degree from Harvard. He became a partner in 1968, and his practice focused on general corporate, securities and commodities matters, as well as corporate representations and business transactions. He served in a number of leadership roles, including head of the corporate department, a member of the Management Committee, and firm chairman and managing partner. During his time as a firm leader, he was instrumental in the transformation of Cadwalader into a modern, global law firm.

Mr. Fritts was a strong advocate for pro bono work.

“Jack Fritts was an early member of the Barrier Free Living board and was the chair of the board when we were developing Transitional Housing,” says Paul Feuerstein, President/CEO of Barrier Free Living. “He has been our legal counsel for the development of Freedom House and Barrier Free Living Apartments. He shared with me that his passion for Barrier Free Living came from his experience of having a childhood friend with a disability. He was instrumental in the development of Barrier Free Living becoming the multi-faceted agency we are today. He will be sorely missed.”

Mr. Fritts was instrumental in the growth and success of the Food Bank For New York City. He incorporated the Food Bank in 1983 and served in various board roles over the years. In 2018, the Food Bank dedicated its Bronx warehouse in his honor, naming the facility “The Jack Fritts Food Distribution Center.”

He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Anne, as well as children Katherine, Louise, Jean and Frank. A memorial service will be held in Maine, where his family ran a summer camp for girls, later this year.