A longtime Rochester-area attorney who became known not just for his work in the legal community, but also for his involvement in supporting various nonprofit organizations, has died.
Justin Vigdor died Thursday, Dec. 26, with his family by his side, at the age of 95.
The Bronx native served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, including a stint at the Pentagon.
Most recently he was at the firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King for about a dozen years. Before that work, Vigdor was at the firm of Boylan Code for more than 19 years.
His nonprofit work saw him serve on numerous boards, and he is considered a founder of the Al Sigl Community of Agencies, which is an umbrella organization for many agencies providing services for children and adults with disabilities.
Tom O’Connor, the president of Al Sigl, said Vigdor’s volunteer work helped many other local nonprofits as well.
“He was heavily involved in the legal community, in the arts," O’Connor said. "He was just a pillar within Rochester."
Those feelings are shared by many others, including Ed Hourihan, the managing partner at Bond, Schoeneck & King. Hourihan said Vigdor set a great example for community service.
“Justin set an example for our younger attorneys about getting involved in the community, getting involved in not-for-profit boards,” Hourihan said. “You know, right up until he passed, he was involved with probably a dozen not-for-profit boards. Justin was involved with those boards because he felt very strongly about their purpose, and he knew it was the right thing to do.”
A statement issued by his children — Jill Vigdor Feldman, Lisa Vigdor Peck, Wendy Vigdor Hess and Robert Vigdor — said that, “Our father was a true humanitarian and a shining light in this community. He will be greatly missed by all of us."
Justin Vigdor was the founding board chairman for the Rochester Fringe Festival and was still a member of the board.
Erica Fee, the festival’s founding producer and CEO, said Vigdor “loved the fact that we were able to provide incredible arts experiences to the community, often for free or low cost. And he thought that was really a very, very important benefit to the community.”
Fee said Vigdor traveled several years ago to the fringe festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, where the concept began, along with a number of other Rochester-area organizers who wanted to bring the festival to this area.
“He was just a remarkable man, and he had a very flexible and agile mind,” Fee said.
Vigdor had also served as president of the New York State Bar Association and was a founder of the Telesca Center for Justice.
He was also honored as an "Associate of the Year" for WXXI in 2016, and just this past fall, Vigdor received the Rochester Rotary Award, which recognizes community members who personify Rotary’s ‘Service Above Self" motto for his charitable work.
During a 2013 episode of WXXI-TV's Norm & Company program, hosted by former WXXI President and CEO Norm Silverstein, Vigdor said that he was glad he settled in Rochester, calling it a city of “very, very generous people."
"We have a city that values its infrastructure, values its cultural arts, values its human values, and I think you can see that in so many things," Vigdor said on the program. "I think it's a great city.”
That program will be re-broadcast at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, on WXXI-TV.
Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 2, 11 a.m. at Temple B’rith Kodesh at 2131 Elmwood Ave. A procession will follow to White Haven Memorial Park.
Further details on services are pending.
