Joel Kaufman, 53

KENSINGTON, MD. – Joel Kaufman died at his home on Oct. 29 due to an aggressive form of brain cancer, which he battled valiantly for more than 10 months.

He was born on Nov. 2, 1960 in Providence to Eli and Bernice Kaufman. Valedictorian of his high school class, he obtained a B.A. in political science from Providence College in 1982 with highest honors. He then received a J.D. from Duke University Law School in 1985 and was a member of its honor society.

After law school, he joined the Washington, D.C. office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1993, where he worked for the remainder of his career. Most recently, Joel served as Associate General Counsel and Chief of the Administrative Law Division of the Office of General Counsel of the FCC. Joel was known for his keen legal mind and devotion to public service and received numerous awards including the Silver Medal for Meritorious Service in 2003 and the Outstanding Public Service award from the FCC Chairwoman in 2013.

He embraced Reconstructionist Judaism, which he first encountered during law school.  He was a member of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation for nearly 25 years, and served as board secretary, vice president, and for many, was regarded as the congregation’s best source of institutional memory.

Joel was a man of diverse interests, with a strong passion for U.S. presidential history, the U.S. space program, stamp collecting, ocean cruising and the Boston Red Sox. He will be remembered fondly for his incisive analytic mind, extraordinary organizational skills, gentle humor, strong sense of ethics, kindness and exceptional devotion to his family and community.

Survivors include Joel’s devoted wife of 16 years, Debra Tropp of Kensington, his mother Bernice Kaufman, of Chevy Chase, Md. (formerly of Warwick), and numerous extended family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, the American Brain Tumor Association, the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research & Information and the Southern Poverty Law Center.