Jack Grogins March 30, 2022
Jack Lawrence Grogins, 91, loving husband, father and lifelong Connecticut resident known for his quick wit and passion for tennis, jazz music, and rare books, passed away peacefully at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, CT on March 30, 2022.
Jack was born in Norwalk, CT to Abraham and Adelaide Grogins. He graduated with honors from Norwalk High School in 1948 and went on to study at the University of Connecticut on a scholarship, earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1952. Immediately following his college graduation, Jack studied at the University of Connecticut Law School serving on the law review and graduating with a Juris Doctor Degree in 1955.
Jack began his law career with the firm of Goldstein and Peck in 1955. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1956 and was honorably discharged after two years of service. He went on to practice in the field of insurance defense at the Hartford Insurance Company in 1958.
Subsequent to his Navy service, Jack met and married the love of his life, Marilyn Jean Leichtman, an accomplished writer and poet. They married on March 16, 1958 and their only daughter, Auden was born four years later. Jack and Marilyn were life partners for 63 years until Marilyn’s death in August 2021.
Jack started his own law practice in 1961 and also served for many years as a part-time prosecutor for the Bridgeport Circuit Court.
As a young man, Jack taught tennis and was a competitor in tennis tournaments around the state of Connecticut. He continued to compete in tennis into his 60’s ranking among the top tennis players in the Connecticut Senior Olympics.
He realized his life-long dream and was appointed a Superior Court Judge in 1994 and remained in that position until 2001, when he became a Judge Trial Referee. Jack remained a highly respected jurist until his retirement in 2018.
Jack was dedicated to the law and public service, but his greatest loves were his wife, Marilyn and his daughter, Auden.
Jack leaves behind to cherish his memory his daughter, Judge Auden Grogins, her husband Ira Nachem, his sister-in-law Arlene Glotzer, his niece, Helen Glotzer, his first cousin, Molly Passero and her four children as well as the many friends who loved him.
Family and friends are invited to attend the funeral services which will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 10:00am at the Abraham L. Green and Son Funeral Home, 88 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT. The family will also receive visitors wishing to pay their respects just prior to the funeral service at 9:00am. Burial will follow the funeral service at Temple Shalom Cemetery in Norwalk, CT. Shiva will be observed on Tuesday, April 5th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the family residence.