The Marquette Law School community was saddened to learn of the death March 29 of Emeritus Professor of Law Ramon (“Ray”) Klitzke.  He was 90 years old.

Named by his mother after silent screen star Ramon Novarro, Ray had ramrod straight posture and an athletic build.  He was a competitive swimmer and diver throughout his life.  He cut a dashing figure in the hallways of Sensenbrenner Hall, not unlike his namesake.

Ray was a devoted teacher and scholar.  Ray also served the Wisconsin State Bar in a variety of capacities during his career, serving at various times as Reporter for the Local Government Section, Reporter for the Administrative Law Section and Chairman of the  Patent, Trademark & Copyright Section.  During Ray’s tenure as a full time faculty member, I doubt that there was a single Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin State Bar that did not include Ray on the agenda in some form, usually as a presenter providing an update on recent legal developments in his field.

Ray retired from the Marquette Law School faculty in 1994.

I valued Ray as a friend, as a colleague, and as a valuable contributor to the Wisconsin legal community.  He leaves his wife Doris, his children Ramon, Albert and Ann and their spouses, and an extended family of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Services will be held tomorrow April 5 at Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Brookfield.  More information about Ray’s life, the visitation and services is available here.