By JODI SOKOLOWSKI
Buffalo Law Journal

Edgar NeMoyer, a retired New York state Court of Claims judge, 75, died unexpectedly in his South Buffalo home Saturday morning.

His wife, Josephine, said they had just attended the 45th reunion of his University of Wisconsin's law school class Friday night.

"He hadn't been sick one day, so this is a real shock to us," said the former Josephine Kiely, a native of Cork, Ireland, who married NeMoyer in 1954. "He thought he was going to live to be 100, and that's what he planned."

NeMoyer, who was in public service most of his life, served as a police officer, a prosecutor and a defense lawyer before being appointed by Gov. Mario Cuomo to the state Supreme Court in the early 1980s. After he lost that post in a close election, NeMoyer was appointed to the Court of Claims, where he served for 17 years until he hit mandatory retirement age at 70.

Hon. Barbara Howe, Erie County Surrogate's Court judge, said NeMoyer was a highly respected and compassionate jurist who "never lost an understanding of where he came from and what real people were (who) appeared before him as litigants."

"He was a grand mentor. We had been so lucky to have him as a mentor," she said of herself and Hon. Eugene Fahey of the state Supreme Court Appellate Division, 4th Department, both of whom once clerked for NeMoyer.

A graduate of Canisius High School, NeMoyer attended Georgetown University before switching to the University at Buffalo, from which he graduated in 1954.

His wife recalled that he took the City of Buffalo police exam because "all his friends were taking it." After working as a police officer for just a few months, he went into the U.S. Air Force in 1955 and served for three years. He returned as a patrolman on the Buffalo Police Department while attending UB Law School, graduating in 1961. NeMoyer then earned a master's degree in law from the University of Wisconsin in 1962.

He served over the years as an acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York, a deputy Buffalo corporation counsel, an undersheriff for Erie County and an associate professor at the University at Albany.

He was a partner at Boreanaz, NeMoyer & Baker for 15 years and, after retiring from the bench, briefly worked at Webster Szanyi before finding a home at Collins Collins & Donoghue, where he offered insight to his colleagues, helped develop trial strategies, wrote briefs, argued motions and conducted appeals.

"It was fun to get his feedback," partner Patrick Donoghue said. "He was a very unassuming guy, very humble, and just a great guy."

Daniel NeMoyer recalled that his father never bragged about how much money he made on a case and that his pride was in helping people.

NeMoyer was a member of the Erie County, New York state and American bar associations, as well as the American Legion and Mensa.

"I have never known anyone who loved the law the way he did. It was tailor-made for him," his wife said.

Partner John Collins said NeMoyer preferred to be called "Mickey" and gave Irish nicknames to his friends. Every year, he noted, NeMoyer would rent the upper floor of the Buffalo Irish Center in South Buffalo and hire the Irish band The Wolfe Tones to play for 50 of his closest friends.

Besides his wife and his son Daniel, NeMoyer is survived by a daughter, Patricia Catanzaro, another son, Michael, a brother, Patrick, a state Supreme Court justice, and six grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held Wednesday at St. Teresa Catholic Church.