Max, the grandson of Kentucky Sen. Alben W. Barkley, vice president under President Harry S. Truman from 1949 to 1953 (the four years Max was at Princeton), died May 14, 2014, of multiple illnesses at a Bethesda, Md., continuing-care facility. He was 83. His funeral was May 24 at the chapel of Washington’s St. Albans School, where Max had prepared for Princeton, and was attended by his surviving college roommates and closest friends, Bill Close, Peter Paul, and Dave West. All four were members of Tower Club.
Max earned his bachelor’s degree in English and then graduated from Yale Law School. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark and was a founding partner of WilmerHale, where he had a distinguished career as a litigation specialist. He will be remembered for his wit, energetic presence, and assistance to young attorneys. An ardent bicyclist, he was also a lover of Bach and a strong advocate of the written and spoken word. He had a firm belief in strong topic sentences.
His survivors include sons Dawson, Robin, and James; daughter Sarah Kantrowitz; brother Stephen; stepdaughters Jennifer and Lise Olney; several grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Max was married three times. Sadly, his first and third wives died. Sympathy goes to his family.