Terence J. Fortune, age 70, passed away from complications of Parkinson’s disease at Eden Homes’ Greyswood House, an assisted living home, in Bethesda, Maryland, on July 16, 2017.
Terry was born in Watertown, New York on December 27, 1946, to Phillip R. and Margaret Burns Fortune. He attended school in Watertown, and Plattsburgh, New York. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1969 and received a J.D. from Georgetown in 1974. After practicing law with Clifford, Warnke, Glass, McIlwaine & Finney in Washington, D.C., he joined the Legal Adviser’s office at the Department of State in 1977. After working in various departments in that office for six years, he joined the Washington office of Paul, Weiss, Wharton, Rifkind and Garrison, and became a partner in the firm in 1986.
Although Terry loved the law and delighted in legal problem solving, he lived for time with his family and friends. Excursions with his beloved daughters, cold mornings spent chopping firewood with his brothers and best friend John Kovin, road trips to Campbell’s Point, New York for the opening day of Lake Ontario’s fishing season or for a family vacation—these were the days that mattered most to Terry. He loved to read history, fiction, and especially the works of P. G. Wodehouse—whose antic spirit and masterful command of language sustained Terry through any and all adversities. Terry made friends easily, and kept them close. Throughout his life beloved friends gathered around him regularly to give and receive love and good cheer.
Terry is survived by his wife of 32 years, Brandon; two daughters, Martha (Andrew Frankenberger) and Betsy; and one grandson, Leo Terence Frankenberger. He is also survived by his sister Joanne Fortune and brothers Chris and Steve Fortune, as well as his first wife, Cynthia Starling. He was predeceased by his brother David Fortune.
The family would like to extend its gratitude to the loving staff at Eden Homes, and especially to Terry’s kind caregivers Emnet Bayou and Tibebe Asfaw. A memorial service will be held at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Bethesda, MD at 10:30 am on Saturday, September 16. In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request that any memorials be made to the National Parkinson’s Foundation or to S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) in Washington, D.C.