David Langdon Raish

David Langdon Raish, 75, of Little Compton, RI passed away at home on September 29, 2022 surrounded by family, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  

David was born on March 12, 1947 to Roslyn Skeels and John Raish.  He grew up in Willoughby, Ohio with his parents and sister, Jocelyn, and graduated from the Hawken School in 1965. He then attended Yale University, where he sang with the Whiffenpoofs, the world’s oldest collegiate a cappella group.  He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1973.  

During college, he met his wife of more than 50 years, Roslyn, with whom he raised three children, David, Anne and Julia.  A devoted husband and father, his parenting years involved many coaching stints, camping trips, care for poorly behaved pets, exciting travels, and unwavering love and support for his children.

David was a highly accomplished attorney, spending his career at the law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP.  He was head of the firm’s Employee Benefits Department for many years, and the focus of his work was with universities and health care organizations.  He authored several books and publications in his area of expertise, sharing his knowledge with others, and his extraordinary intellect and sharp legal mind earned him many awards and much acclaim.  

David was also a talented musician with a beautiful tenor voice.  For 25 years, he was a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the official, all-volunteer chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  During his tenure there, he sang dozens of major choral works and traveled with the chorus to sing in concerts in Japan and Hong Kong.  A talented pianist, David filled his family’s home with music and exquisite piano playing. 

David leaves behind his loving wife, his sister and her family,his three children and their partners, three grandchildren, eleven nephews and nieces, and many dear and life-long friends.  His extraordinary kindness and generous spirit will be deeply missed. 

A memorial service will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Mass General Hospital Parkinson’s Lewy Body Fund (https://giving.massgeneral.org)or the New England Conservatory Scholarship Support program (https://necmusic.edu/giving/nec-fund

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