Jack Samuel Ring 1932-2016

Jack Ring ObituaryJack Samuel Ring died peacefully in Chicago on November 20, 2016, surrounded by family. He was the beloved husband of Hazel Gitlitz Ring and was predeceased in 2001 by his late wife, Susan Ring; loving father of Joshua (Melissa), Scott (Marina), step-father of Scott (Angela) and Jamie Gitlitz; cherished grandfather of Sydney, Jolie, Alex and Levi Ring, and Rachel and Jessica Gitlitz; loving brother of Miriam (late Walter), Norman (Bea) and the late Ida and Leonard; devoted son of the late Abe and the late Rose Ring.

As the Founder of Jack Samuel Ring & Associates, Jack devoted his law practice of almost 60 years to representing the injured and their families who had suffered wrongful death and personal injuries with the utmost respect for the rule of law, in addition to representing physicians in defense of medical malpractice claims. Jack is broadly recognized among Illinois' most accomplished trial lawyers. Among his many legal achievements, Jack obtained a unanimous 9-0 decision in 1988 from the United States Supreme Court in a landmark case, Schlunk v. Volkswagen. The case established the critical principle that individuals who are injured on United States soil by products designed or manufactured overseas may bring legal actions against those foreign designers and manufactures through their subsidiaries in the United States. The business impact of the decision was immense, enabling consumers injured by defective products to hold offshore companies to the same standards of care as U.S. manufacturers. Thirty years later, the case is still regarded as a landmark international jurisdiction decision and is taught in law schools across the country.

A proud graduate of The University of Miami ('54) and the University of Miami Law School ('57), Jack was actively involved in the alumni community of both schools throughout his life. Jack served as a Member of the University of Miami's President's Council, an advisory group comprised of some of the University's most prominent alumni, and was a member of the Dean's Circle Committee of the School of Law, in addition to being an associate professor of law at the school.

Jack was actively involved in the legal community, was a member of many prestigious legal organizations, such as American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Florida Bar Association, and served on the Board of Managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the President's Council of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Jack was also the recipient of countless awards from his peers in recognition of his decades of honorable service in the legal community, including being named a Top Lawyer in Illinois by the Chicago Lawyers Magazine and a Leading Lawyer by the Chicago Law Bulletin.

Jack's dedication to community involvement outside of the legal arena was also significant throughout his life, most notably as a member of the Board of Directors of the Little City Foundation and Chairman of the Legal Division of the Jewish United Fund. Most of all, Jack was a beloved husband, father, brother and grandfather, a dedicated advocate and a loyal friend.

Services have been held.

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Morgan Yingst
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