Harold Pilskaln Jr. ’53

 Hal, 92, died Jan. 31, 2024, in South Hadley, Mass.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he grew up in Twinsburg, Ohio, and was a 1949 graduate of Western Reserve Academy. At Princeton, he joined Colonial Club, rowed crew, and played squash, tennis, football, and basketball. Hal majored in sociology, completing a senior thesis on the moral judgements of children. He was a member of the Cleveland Club, the Pre-Law Society, and active as a Boy’s Club leader.

Following graduation, Hal earned his L.L.D. in 1956 from Harvard. He served in the US Marine Corps Reserves from 1951-58, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1956 and adjutant and base legal officer at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Calif., from 1957-58. Hal married Polly Hughes in 1955, and they raised three children in California and Massachusetts. Professionally, Hal specialized in real estate and title insurance law, was a member of numerous state bar associations, and achieved admission to the US Supreme Court Bar. He served as executive vice president and board member of several national cooperate title insurance companies, was a partner in a California real estate law firm and ran a private law practice in Massachusetts. He retired from practicing law in 1998.

Known for his big, open smile, infectious laugh, and generosity of spirit, Hal taught his three kids to play tennis and encouraged them to embrace team sports for the sheer joy of it and to make friends for life. An impressive tennis player (Junior Davis Cup-ranked in his teens), Hal, with his big boomer serve, played in local tournaments into his 70’s.

After Huntington’s Disease tragically struck his wife, sonm and daughter, Hal worked tirelessly for decades with the National Huntington’s Disease Society Board, the Northeast Regional HD Organization, and several Centers of Research Excellence on issues of care, family support, and increasing public awareness of the disease. Privately, he raised significant funding for medical research focused on the development of a cure for Huntington’s Disease.

Hal was predeceased by his first wife Polly, son Peter, daughter Suzanne, and second wife Isabelle Magnus. He is survived by his brother Robert, his eldest daughter Cynthia, and grandson Harold.