Ira Richard Gershon, 67, recently of Oxford, Mississippi, died in Charleston, South Carolina, on December 9, 2024.

Richard, as he was known, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Shifra and Nathan Gershon. He grew up in Atlanta (“Atlanta” being the answer to half of the trivia questions he asked). He attended the University of Georgia for his undergraduate degree in political science, the University of Tennessee for law school, and the University of Florida for his LLM in Taxation. While he practiced law briefly at the start of his career, he realized that his true passion was teaching. Even when he became dean of the first of three law schools where he would hold that title, when asked what his job was, he would say he was a teacher. 

Richard started his teaching career at Ohio Northern University College of Law. He then taught at Stetson University College of Law, where he also served as associate dean. From there he moved to Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, where he held the positions of dean and professor of law. In 2003, Richard became the founding dean of the Charleston School of Law. After seven years, he moved to the University of Mississippi School of Law as dean and professor of law. 

Richard’s kindness, humor, and curiosity touched all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Donna Levine; his children, Michelle, Ben, Claire, and Eve; his siblings, Susan (Sidney) Tourial, Charles (Shawn Gallagher) Gershon, and Ellen (Sam) Banov; and beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at J. Henry Stuhr 1494 Mathis Ferry Road, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on December 29, 2024, at 3:00 pm. Another memorial service will be held in Oxford, Mississippi, date and time to be determined. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Playing for Change, 171 Pier Avenue, #271 Santa Monica, CA 90405, or the Jewish Federation of Oxford (https://www.jewishfederationoxfordms.com)