Edward Peter Rudolph

Edward Peter Rudolph of Fountain Hills recently left this world. He was 94 years old.

Ed was born March 10, 1925, in Newark, N.J., and grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. as one of four children (including Stanley, Dorothy and Walter) of their Russian immigrant father, Vincent, and Polish immigrant mother, Beatrice Helen (nee Dombrowski).

Ed attended high school at PS 110 in Brooklyn, N.Y. In February 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as soon as he could after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Ed served his country in the Pacific theater of operations in World War II, rising to the rank of staff sergeant before he was honorably discharged in March 1946.

Ed went to college at Florida Southern and obtained his law degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where he met his wife, Jean in 1951. After marrying in 1954, they moved to Milwaukee, where Ed established a successful practice as a plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer and Jean ran a small business. They raised their four children in the Milwaukee suburb of Elm Grove, where Ed and his sons religiously attended the Green Bay Packers games played in Milwaukee County Stadium.

In the late 1990s, Ed and Jean began spending more time in Scottsdale where Ed helped two of his sons establish their own independent legal practices. But Ed never surrendered his season tickets to Titletown, preferring to give them away when he could not attend in person.

Ed’s deep and abiding love for Jean, his beautiful wife of 65 years, and hers for him, was a privilege to witness and an inspiration to all. He was happy to indulge his wife’s wanderlust, with whom – even in his last year – he traveled the world.

He was a dashingly handsome, charismatic and warm-hearted man who loved to tell a story or a joke. With his beautiful smile and sparkling blue eyes, he’d often say, “Oh! That reminds me of a story! Let me tell you about the time …!” He had a passion for helping others, and for more than 60 years gave freely of himself, his exceptional intellect and his time to represent those in need of advocacy.

Whether with complete strangers or lifelong friends, and especially with his family, Ed reveled in conversation with others. He was happy to impart his philosophy and wisdom to one and all, and particularly to his children and grandchildren, in whom he endeavored to instill his own ironclad sense of integrity, compassion and justice.

In any restaurant or on any cruise ship with a live band, no dinner was complete until Ed had asked them to play the song “Feelings” for himself and his wife – a request guaranteed to elicit smiles (of one sort or another!) from those present.

Ed is survived by his wife, Jean (nee Johnson); his only daughter, Laura Lorenzen (husband Richard) of Paradise Valley; two of his sons, Mark Rudolph (wife Catherine Gaudreau) of Scottsdale, and Adam Rudolph (fiancée Alma Jiménez) of Temecula, Calif.; his sister, Dorothy Kaiser of Stamford, Conn.; his three grandchildren, Alexander, Grace and Jack Rudolph of Scottsdale; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their children, in his and Jean’s extended family. Their son, Paul Rudolph of Scottsdale, predeceased Ed.

Ed was an exceptional member of the Greatest Generation and one of the most genuine human beings one could ever be privileged to know and to love. He will be greatly missed by his family and lovingly remembered by all who knew him well. We will carry him in our hearts, and live to honor him and his life, for the rest of our days.

Ed's Memorial Service was held on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 at Paradise Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your local animal shelter.